Powder Blue Surgeonfish feeding by new coral growth

Powder Blue Surgeonfish feeding by new coral growth

Powder Blue Surgeonfish nibbling on algae growing on the dead areas of reef whilst an array of colourful new young coral spring out from the reef, creating a rainbow of colours. The name surgeonfish is derived from the extremely sharp scalpel-like spines that all surgeonfish have on either side of their tails. Despite their lethal sounding name however, surgeonfish are grazers, feeding mostly on algae growing on coral reefs.

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Powder Blue Surgeonfish Facts
Other names: Powder-blue Tang, Blue Surgeonfish, Powderblue Surgeonfish, Powder Blue Tang
Scientific name: Acanthurus leucosternon
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)
Max. size: 54 cm
Depth: 0 - 25 metres
Diet: Benthic algae
Habitat: Shallow, clear coastal reefs, island coral reefs, upper seaward shopes, reef flats
Distribution: Indian Ocean: eastern Africa to the Andaman Sea, southwest Indonesia and Christmas Island; with range extended to Bali, Indonesia in Western Pacific.
Conservation: Least Concern