Acanthurus nigrofuscus

Brown surgeonfish | Blackspot Surgeonfish | Dusky Surgeonfish | Lavender Tang | Spot-cheeked Surgeonfish
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigrofuscus, NSW, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigrofuscus, QLD, Australia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigrofuscus, NSW, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigrofuscus, Red Sea, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigrofuscus, Narooma, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
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Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Acanthurus nigrofuscus

Distribution

Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific


Description

Bluish-brown body, slightly concave head profile, round black spots above and below tail base, orange spots on head, dorsal and anal fins with light blue margin. Similar A. nigroris (Greyhead Surgeonfish) has lines rather than spots on face, and Ctenochaetus striatus (Lined Bristletooth) lacks spots on tail base. Very common on sheltered reefs and bommies.


Information

Max Size: 21 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 20.1-30.8°C

Depth: 0-25m

Habitat Generalization Index: 25.18

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.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Occurrence: Common (32.0% 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 (21 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: Joe Shields