Convict Surgeonfish
Acanthurus triostegus
Summary 2
Acanthurus triostegus (convict tang or convict surgeonfish) is a small surgeonfish in family Acanthuridae of the order Perciformes. It is typically about 10 cm (3.9 in) long, but some individuals may grow larger than 20 cm.
Description 3
The convict tang is so called because of its bold black stripes on a yellowish background. It is a laterally-compressed oval-shaped fish with a maximum length of about 26–27 cm (10–11 in). The head is small with a pointed snout and a terminal mouth with thick lips. It has six black stripes which distinguishes it from the zebra tang (Acanthurus polyzona) which has nine, and has a more restricted range in the Indian Ocean. The first black stripe is oblique and passes through the eye. There are two black spots on the caudal peduncle, and on each side there is a sharp, retractable spine, which is used in offence or defence.
Sources and Credits
- (c) John Sear, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by John Sear
- Adapted by John Sear from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthurus_triostegus
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthurus_triostegus
