Caribbean Ocean Surgeonfish

The Caribbean ocean surgeonfish is a common reef fish of the western Atlantic, often seen grazing algae in loose groups over reef and rock. It carries a hidden weapon at the base of its tail, ready to fold out if threatened.

Also known as: fiveband surgeonfish, ocean surgeonfish, brown surgeonfish, grey doctorfish, ocean surgeon, ringtail, ocean tang, gulf surgeonfish, randall's surgeonfish

It is easily confused with the doctorfish, which has about eleven dark vertical stripes on its flanks and more strongly blue fins; the Caribbean ocean surgeonfish lacks those stripes.

This is a deep, oval-shaped fish, flattened from side to side, with a steep head and large eyes set high on the head. Its colour shifts with the background: pale beige over sand and darker brown over rock, sometimes with a bluish-green tint on the flanks. Short blue lines run back from the eye, and the dorsal, anal, and tail fins carry a thin blue edge. The pectoral fins often show orange, and a pale ring often circles the base of the tail. On each side of the tail base sits a single spine that folds flat against the body.

It lives on shallow coral and rocky reefs, from about 11 to 45 m deep, and also uses rocky shores with sandy patches and seagrass meadows. Its range covers the Caribbean Sea, parts of the Gulf of Mexico, and the western Atlantic from North Carolina to the Bahamas.

This species is common and widespread, with no major threats and little pressure from fishing or the aquarium trade.

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  Atlantic Blue Tang

  Acanthurus coeruleus

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  Brown surgeonfish

  Acanthurus nigrofuscus

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  Chocolate surgeonfish

  Acanthurus pyroferus

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  Convict Surgeonfish

  Acanthurus triostegus

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  Doctorfish

  Acanthurus chirurgus

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  Elongate surgeonfish

  Acanthurus mata