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Acanthurus thompsoni (Fowler, 1923)

Description

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 23 - 26; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 23 - 26. Body uniformly brown to dark brown; caudal fin pale in color (snow white in live fishes). Small, dark spot below and adjacent to axil of pectoral fin. Anterior gill rakers 15-18; posterior 14-16. Snout length 7.9 to 8.2 times in SL. Least depth of caudal peduncle 2.2 to 2.5 times in head length (Ref 9808).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Teleostei

Order: Acanthuriformes

Family: Acanthuridae

Genus: Acanthurus

Species: Acanthurus thompsoni (Fowler, 1923)

Climate Zone

  • Tropical

    • Location

  • Indo-Pacific: East Africa, including the Mascarene Islands (Ref. 37792) to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Ducie islands, north to southern Japan, south to Rapa (Austral Islands). The Indian Ocean population is without the white caudal fin.

    • Biology

    This occasionally schooling species occurs in steep outer reef slopes and drop-offs (Ref. 1602, 48637). Benthopelagic over coral and sand (Ref. 58302). Feeds on zooplankton, particularly large gelatinous forms, and on fish eggs and crustaceans (Ref. 1920). Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 128797.

    Habitat

    brackish