Doubleband Surgeonfish, Acanthurus tennentii Günther 1861
Other Names: Lieutenant Surgeonfish
A Doubleband Surgeonfish, Acanthurus tennentii, in the Maldives Dec 2020. Source: Rafi Amar / iNaturalist.org. License: CC BY Attribution-Noncommercial
Summary:
A dark brown to pale tan surgeonfish with two black bands (horseshoe-shaped in juveniles and subadults to ~13 cm) on the shoulder region, a black caudal spine within a black area surrounded by a blue to bluish-white border, a broad bluish-white margin on the caudal fin and narrow blue margins on the dorsal and anal fins.
The Doubleband Surgeonfish occurs at the Australian Territories of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean.
The Doubleband Surgeonfish occurs at the Australian Territories of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean.
Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2026, Acanthurus tennentii in Fishes of Australia, accessed 23 Jul 2026, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/4958
Doubleband Surgeonfish, Acanthurus tennentii Günther 1861
More Info
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Distribution |
Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean (AUS EEZ). Elsewhere the species occurs from East Africa to southern Indonesia. Inhabits shallow silty inshore to clear outer lagoon and seaward coral reefs in depths to 35 m. |
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Features |
Dorsal fin IX, 23-24; Anal fin III, 22-23; Pectoral fin 16; Gill rakers on rear of gill arch 25. Body depth 2-2.4 in SL, (becoming more elongate with growth); caudal fin emarginate in juveniles to lunate in adults. |
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Size |
to 31 cm TL |
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Feeding |
Grazer/detritivore |
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Fisheries |
A food fish in parts of its range. |
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Remarks |
Acanthurus tennentii hybridizes with the Orangeblotch Surgeonfish, A. olivaceus, in Bali, Indonesia. |
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Etymology |
The species is presumably named in honour of James Tennent, a former Colonial Secretary of Ceylon, the type locality of this species. |
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Species Citation |
Acanthurus tennentii Günther 1861, Catalogue of the fishes in the British Museum 3: 337. Type locality: Sri Lanka (as Sea of Ceylon). |
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Author |
Bray, D.J. 2026 |
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Resources |
Doubleband Surgeonfish, Acanthurus tennentii Günther 1861
References
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Allen, G.R., Steene, R., Human, P. & Deloach, N. 2003. Reef Fish Identification Tropical Pacific. Jacksonville, Florida : New World Publications, Inc. 457 pp.
Carpenter, K.E., Williams, J.T & Santos, M.D. 2017. Acanthurus albimento, a new species of surgeonfish (Acanthuriformes: Acanthuridae) from northeastern Luzon, Philippines, with comments on zoogeography. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation 25: 33-46. PDF available Open access
Comeros-Raynal, M.T., Choat, J.H., Polidoro, B.A., Clements, K.D., Abesamis, R., Craig, M.T., Lazuardi, M.E., McIlwain, J., Muljadi, A., Myers, R.F., Nañola Jr., C.L., Pardede, S., Rocha, L.A., Russell, B., Sanciangco, J.C., Stockwell, B., Harwell, H. and Carpenter, K.E. 2012. The likelihood of extinction of iconic and dominant components of coral reefs: the parrotfishes and surgeonfishes. PLoS ONE http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039825.
Gloerfelt-Tarp, T. & Kailola, P.J. 2022. Trawled fishes of southern Indonesia and northwestern Australia. 2nd ed, self published: i-vii, 1-422, Pls. 1-3. See ref online
Günther, A. 1861. Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum. Catalogue of the acanthopterygian fishes in the collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum Vol. 3 586 pp.
Hobbs, J.-P.A., Ayling, A.M., Choat, J.H., Gilligan, J.J., McDonald, C.A., Neilson, J. & Newman, S.J. 2010. New records of marine fishes illustrate the biogeographic importance of Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 2422: 63–68
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. Indonesian Reef Fishes. Part 3. Jawfishes - Sunfishes, Opistognathidae - Molidae. Melbourne : Zoonetics pp. 623–893.
Randall, J.E. 1956. A revision of the surgeon fish genus Acanthurus. Pacific Science 10(2): 159-235 figs 1-23 pls 1-3
Randall, J.E. 1995. Coastal Fishes of Oman. Bathurst : Crawford House Publishing 439 pp.
Randall, J.E. 2001. Surgeonfishes of Hawai'i and the World. Honolulu : Mutual Publishing and Bishop Museum Press 125 pp.
Randall, J.E. 2022. Family Acanthuridae, Surgeonfishes, pp. 219-245, pls. 59-68 in Heemstra, P.C., Heemstra, E., Ebert, D.A., Holleman, W. & Randall, J.E. (eds).Coastal fishes of the western Indian Ocean. Volume 5. Makhanda, South Africa : South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity i, 1-487, i-xi, Pls. 1-129
Randall, J.E., Pyle, R.L. & Myers, R.F. 2001. Three examples of hybrid surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae). aqua, Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biology 4(3): 115-120.
Russell, B., Choat, J.H., Abesamis, R., Clements, K.D., McIlwain, J., Myers, R., Nanola, C., Rocha, L.A. & Stockwell, B. 2012. Acanthurus tennentii. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T177997A1516035. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T177997A1516035.en. Downloaded on 17 February 2017.
Sommer, C., Schneider, W. & Poutiers, J.-M. 1996. FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of Somalia. Rome : FAO 376 pp.
