Yellowmask Surgeonfish, Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes 1835


Other Names: Cuvier's Surgeonfish, Ring-tailed Surgeonfish, Yellowfin Surgeonfish, Yellow-mask Surgeon, Yellow-masked Surgeon

A Yellowmask Surgeonfish, Acanthurus xanthopterus, at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland. Source: Mark Shepherd / Lizard Island Field Guide, http://lifg.australianmuseum.net.au/. License: CC by Attribution


Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2019, Acanthurus xanthopterus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1031

Yellowmask Surgeonfish, Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes 1835

More Info


Distribution

Kendrew Island, Rowley Shoals and Scott Reef, Western Australia, and Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea, to Darwin, Northern Territory, and the northern Great Barrier Reef and reefs in the Coral Sea, to Sydney, New South Wales; also Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean. Elsewhere, the species is widespread in the tropical Indo-Pacific from East Africa to the eastern Pacific. Inhabits sandy areas in lagoons, bays and on outer reef slopes.

Feeding

Grazer/detritivore - feeds on sediment and debris.

Fisheries

Fished commercially in parts of its range.

Etymology

The specific name xanthopterus is from the Greek xanthos (= yellow) and ptero (= fin) in reference to the yellow colour of the outer part of the pectoral fin.

Species Citation

Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes, 1835, Histoire Naturelle des Poissons 10: 215. Type locality: Seychelles, western Indian Ocean.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2019

Resources

Atlas of Living Australia

Yellowmask Surgeonfish, Acanthurus xanthopterus Valenciennes 1835

References


Abesamis, R., Clements, K.D., Choat, J.H., McIlwain, J., Myers, R., Rocha, L.A., Nanola, C., Russell, B. & Stockwell, B. 2012. Acanthurus xanthopterus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T177989A1512937. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T177989A1512937.en. Downloaded on 23 July 2019.

Allen, G.R. 1993. Fishes of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 44: 67-91.

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Allen, G.R. & Russell, B.C. 1986. Part VII Fishes. pp. 79-103 in Berry, P.F. (ed.). Faunal Surveys of the Rowley Shoals, Scott Reef and Seringapatam Reef, northwestern Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 25: 1-106.

Allen, G.R. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1994. Fishes of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 412: 1-21.

Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp.

Choat, J.H. & Axe, L.M. 1996. Growth and longevity in acanthurid fishes; an analysis of otolith increments. Marine Ecology Progress Series 134: 15-26

Choat, J.H., Robbins, W.D. & Clements, K.D. 2004. The trophic status of herbivorous fishes on coral reefs. Marine Biology 145: 445-454.

Grant, E.M. 1991. Fishes of Australia. Brisbane : EM Grant Pty Ltd 480 pp.

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Biodiversity of shallow reef fish assemblages in Western Australia using a rapid censusing technique. Records of the Western Australian Museum 20: 247-270.

Johnson, J.W. 2010. Fishes of the Moreton Bay Marine Park and adjacent continental shelf waters, Queensland, Australia. pp. 299-353 in Davie, P.J.F. & Phillips, J.A. Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Marine Biological Workshop, The Marine Fauna and Flora of Moreton Bay. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 54(3)

Kuiter, R.H. 1992. Tropical Reef-Fishes of the Western Pacific, Indonesia and Adjacent Waters. Jakarta : PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama 314 pp. pls.

Kuiter, R.H. & Debelius, H. 2001. Surgeonfishes, Rabbitfishes and Their Relatives. A comprehensive guide to Acanthuroidei. Chorleywood, U.K. : TMC Publishing 208 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. & Tonozuka, T. 2001. Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 3. Jawfishes - Sunfishes, Opistognathidae - Molidae. Zoonetics, Australia.

Larson, H.K. & Williams, R.S. 1997. Darwin Harbour fishes: a survey and annotated checklist. pp. 339-380 in Hanley, H.R., Caswell, G., Megirian, D. & Larson, H.K. (eds). The Marine Flora and Fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia. Proceedings of the Sixth International Marine Biology Workshop. Darwin : Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory 466 pp.

Larson, H.K., Williams, R.S. & Hammer, M.P. 2013. An annotated checklist of the fishes of the Northern Territory, Australia. Zootaxa 3696(1): 1-293

Oxley, W.G., Ayling, A.M., Cheal, A.J. & Thompson, A.A. 2003. Marine surveys undertaken in the Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve, March-April 2003. Townsville : Australian Institute of Marine Science 59 pp.

Oxley, W.G., Emslie, M., Muir, P. & Thompson, A.A. 2004. Marine surveys undertaken in the Lihou Reef National Nature Reserve, March 2004. Townsville : Australian Institute of Marine Science i-vii, 1-67 pp.

Randall J.E. 1956. A revision of the surgeon fish genus Acanthurus. Pacific Science 10(2): 159-235. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/8690, open access

Randall, J.E. 2001. Surgeonfishes of Hawai'i and the World. Honolulu : Mutual Publishing and Bishop Museum Press 125 pp.

Randall, J.E. 2001. Zanclidae, Acanthuridae. pp. 3651-3683 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Russell, B.C. 1983. Annotated checklist of the coral reef fishes in the Capricorn-Bunker group, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Special Publication Series 1: 1-184 figs 1-2

Russell, B.C., Larson, H.K., Hutchins, J.B. & Allen, G.R. 2005. Reef fishes of the Sahul Shelf. The Beagle, Records of the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory Supplement 1 2005: 83-105.

Valenciennes, A. in Cuvier, G.L. & Valenciennes, A. 1835. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : Levrault Vol. 10 482 pp. pls 280-306.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37437020

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:1-120 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:62 cm TL

Species Image Gallery

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map