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ANIMAL SPECIES:Mimic Surgeonfish, Acanthurus pyroferus (Kittlitz, 1834)

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Adult Mimic Surgeonfish are yellowish to dark brown, with a paler head. Juvenile Mimic Surgeonfish show several colour forms that mimic different species of angelfishes (Family Pomacanthidae). Fishes in the genus Acanthurus have a sharp, scalpel-like spine on either side of the caudal peduncle that can be raised and used as a weapon. These spines are highly modified body scales.

Identification

Adult Mimic Surgeonfish are yellowish to dark brown, with a paler head. The opercular margin is dark and the region above the pectoral fin is orange.

Juvenile Mimic Surgeonfish show several colour forms that mimic different species of angelfishes (Family Pomacanthidae). As the Mimic Surgeonfish grows it eventually becomes larger than the angelfish species it is mimicking. It then changes to the adult colouration.

The common name "Surgeonfish" refers to the spine(s) on the caudal peduncle. Fishes in the genus Acanthurus have a sharp, scalpel-like spine on either side of the caudal peduncle that can be raised and used as a weapon. These spines are highly modified body scales.

Size range

The Mimic Surgeonfish grows to 25 cm in length.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical marine waters throughout the Western and Central Pacific.

In Australia it is recorded from the offshore reefs of north-western Western Australia and the northern Great Barrier Reef to northern New South Wales. Small juveniles that are carried south by the East Australian Current are occasionally found in marine waters of southern New South Wales.

Distribution by collection data

Biomaps map of Mimic Surgeonfish specimens in the Australian Museum collection

What does this mean?

Classification

Species:
pyroferus
Genus:
Acanthurus
Family:
Acanthuridae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  3. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  4. Johnson, G.D. & A.C. Gill in Paxton, J.R. & W.N. Eschmeyer (Eds). 1994. Encyclopedia of Fishes. Sydney: New South Wales University Press; San Diego: Academic Press [1995]. Pp. 240.
  5. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.


Last Updated: 9 June 2009

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