Acanthurus grammoptilus, Coral Sea, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Dark body, usually white band at tail base, broad yellow streaks in front and behind eye, dark tail spine, narrow white rear margin on tail fin and yellow outer half of pectoral fin. Found around inshore silty reefs. Markings faint and difficult to distinguish in the field. Easily confused with similar Surgeonfishes.
Information
Max Size: 35 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 21.4-32.1°C
Depth: 2-91m
Habitat: Coral Reef, Rocky Reef
Habitat Generalisation Index: 26.3
Also referred to as the SGI (Species generalisation index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species.
Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most
hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here
Rarity
IUCN Threat Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Common (36% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution.
It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Many (11 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
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