Acanthurus coeruleus

(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Vernacular names

English : Blue tang
French : Poisson chirurgien bleu

Classification

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

Identification

Maximum length is 36 cm. Distinctive species with its entirely dark blue coloration with very thin horizontal white lines on flanks. Fins have a purplish tinge and there is a yellow area visible around gill covers. White caudal spine.

Range and habitat

Western Atlantic from New York and Bermudas to Gulf of Mexico and north Brazil. Eastern Atlantic only around Ascension island. Lives in coral reefs, rocky and grassy inshore areas mostly above 18 m.

Conservation

IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : Still fairly common in the wild. Local declines due to overfishing and possibly climate change leading to scarcity of food resources.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation