Acanthurus tristis

(Randall, 1993)

Vernacular names
English : Indian Ocean mimic surgeonfish
French : Poisson chirurgien imitateur

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Acanthuriformes (sometimes still Perciformes)
Family : Acanthuridae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can grow to 25 cm in length. Concave forehead and slightly elongated snout. Coloration is dark grey-beige, greyer on face. Black area around gill coverts and on chin. Darker fins, black ring around tail spine, black eye.

Range and habitat
This species occurs in the Indian Ocean, from the Bay of Bengal south to Indonesia, eastwards to Bali (and maybe further east). Lives in shallow lagoons and seaward reefs, in areas with mixed coral and sand.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species is uncommon in most of its range and only locally common. It is quite rarely caught except around Sri Lanka and Indonesia for trade.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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