TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)
Genus/species: Acanthurus triostegus
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: The Convict Tang is a very common surgeonfish. It is oval in profile and laterally compressed, gray with 4 vertical stripes (1 stripe on head across the yellow eye; 1 on caudal peduncle). The erectile spine on each side of caudal peduncle which folds down into a groove. This scalpel like spine causes a nasty cut if the fish is treated roughly by a predator or a human.
Common length : 17.0 cm (6.7 inches).
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: A. triostegus is found in lagoons and seaward reefs in areas of hard substrates from sea level to 90 m (300 feet) in the Indo-Pacific.
Typically occurs in shallows to 5 m (16 feet).
DIET IN THE WILD: It is a herbivore which uses its serrated teeth along creating saw-like motion to remove filamentous algae from the substrate.
REPRODUCTION: The Convict Tang spawns at dusk with females broadcasting eggs into open water where the males fertilize them. Larvae drift ~75 days. Post-larvae settle in intertidal areas of benches and reef flats.
PREDATORS: Eggs and sperm are preyed upon by eagle rays, which are often present during spawning.
CONSERVATION: IUCN, Least concern.
REMARKS: This black-barred fish’s common name presumably alludes to the coloration of many prison uniforms of the previous century.
References
Ron’s Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/3185789781/in/set-72157608332652056/
California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine Coral Reef 2016
fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/1260
Aquarium of the Pacific www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/co…
Monterey Bay Aquarium www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/AnimalDetails.aspx?en…
EOL eol.org/pages/203984/overview
Ron’s WordPress shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-lR
Ron's Critter of the Day 