bio.wikisort.org - Animal

Acanthurus leucosternon is a marine tropical fish belonging to the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae. Its common names are powder blue tang and powder-blue surgeonfish.

Powder-blue surgeonfish
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Acanthuriformes
Family:	Acanthuridae
Genus:	Acanthurus
Species:	A. leucosternon
Binomial name
Acanthurus leucosternon E. T. Bennett, 1833

Description

The fish can reach an average size of 23 cm (9 in) in length.[2] The body has an oval shape and is compressed laterally. Like other surgeonfishes, Acanthurus leucosternon swims with its pectoral fins. The caudal fin has a crescent shape. The fish has a "surgeon's scalpel," an erected part of the spine located at the base of the tail.[3] The mouth is small and pointed in a beak-like manner with tiny and sharp teeth for reaching narrow spaces of food.[4] Its sides are blue;[4] its dorsal fin and the base of caudal fin are yellow;[4] the head is black;[4] the mouth, the throat area, the anal and pelvic fins are white.[5] The pectoral fins are transparent with yellow reflections. The intensity of its blue color shows off if the fish is healthy or not.^{[citation needed]} The fish does not undergo color changes as it matures; as some tangs, surgeonfish and unicornfish do.

Distribution and habitat

Acanthurus leucosternon is found in tropical waters from the Indian Ocean.[6] The species inhabits shallow and clear coastal waters always associated with a reef. It prefers flat top reefs and areas along seaward slopes.[6]

Behaviour

The powder blue tang, like most fish in the family Acanthuridae, is herbivorous, eating mostly benthic algae.[7] Acanthurus leucosternon has a diurnal activity. It is solitary, territorial and aggressive with other surgeonfish.[2] In cases where food is plentiful, it may feed in shoals, but in cases of scarcity, it may compete individually for food.[4] It may use its surgeon's scalpel as a defensive weapon.[2]

Economic value

The powder blue tang is rarely harvested for anything other than the marine aquarium industry. It is a commonly sold fish that is moderately difficult to care for, although its popularity is easily exceeded by the regal tang and yellow tang.^{[citation needed]} They are very prone to Cryptocaryon irritans.[2] They are reef safe and are compatible with most species except other species of fish in the genus Acanthurus.[2]

References

Further reading

• Robertson, Ross; Polunin, Nicholas; Leighton, Kimberley (1979). "The behavioral ecology of three Indian Ocean surgeonfishes (Acanthurus lineutus, A. leucosternon and Zebrusoma scopes): their feeding strategies, and social and mating systems". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 4 (2): 125–170. doi:10.1007/BF00005448.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acanthurus leucosternon.

• Acanthurus leucosternon at Fishbase
• Tang at Wetwebmedia.com
• Powder Blue Tang
• Atos Origin
• http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219628
• Photos of Acanthurus leucosternon on Sealife Collection

На других языках

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- [en] Acanthurus leucosternon

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[es] Acanthurus leucosternon

Acanthurus leucosternon es un pez cirujano, de la familia de los Acantúridos. Su nombre común en inglés es powder blue tang, o cirujano azul cielo. Es quizás la especie más popular del género en acuariofilia.

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[ru] Белогрудый хирург

Белогрудый хирург[1] (лат. Acanthurus leucosternon) — морская лучепёрая рыба семейства хирурговых.

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