Greyhead Surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigros Günther 1861

Other Names: Bluelined Surgeonfish, Grey-head Surgeonfish

A Greyhead Surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigros. Source: John E. Randall. License: CC BY Attribution-Noncommercial

Summary:

Body dark brown with irregular bluish lines along the body, base of tail at spine encircled by a white bar and head greyish, or greyish-yellow with fine irregular blue lines. Rear base of dorsal and anal fins with a small black spot, tail, dorsal and anal fins with a narrow white or bluish margin.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2018, Acanthurus nigros in Fishes of Australia, accessed 18 Jan 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1028

Greyhead Surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigros Günther 1861

More Info

Distribution	Known from the tropical Central and Western Pacific, from the Pitcairn Islands west to the Great Barrier Reef and Caroline Islands. Reportedly rare on the Great Barrier Reef, in depths to 20 m.
Biology	The sexes are separate and fertilsation is external. Surgeonfishes spawn in schools in the water column.
Remarks	Randall et al. (2011) removed this species from synonymy with Acanthurus nigoris which occurs only in the Hawaiian Islands. A, nigroris was previously considered to be wide-ranging in the central and western Pacific Ocean. Although A. nigros and A. nigroris look very similar, fin-ray, gill-raker and genetic differences warranted species recognition. (Randall et al. 2011)
Species Citation	Acanthurus nigros Günther 1861, Cat. fish. Brit. Mus. 3: 332. Type locality: Aneityum [Aneiteum, Anatom] Island, Vanuatu [New Hebrides]
Author	Bray, D.J. 2018
Resources	Australian Faunal Directory

Greyhead Surgeonfish, Acanthurus nigros Günther 1861

References

Allen, G.R., N.J. Cross, C.J. Allen & D.F. Hoese. 2006. Acanthuridae, pp. 1732-1744. In: Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing, Part 3. (as Acanthurus nigroris)

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

Günther, A. 1861. Catalogue of the fishes of the British Museum. Vol. 3. Taylor and Francis, London. (as Acanthurus bipunctatus)

Kuiter, R.H. & Debelius, H. 2001. Surgeonfishes, Rabbitfishes and Their Relatives. A comprehensive guide to Acanthuroidei. Chorleywood, U.K. : TMC Publishing 208 pp. (as Acanthurus nigroris in part)

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. (as Acanthurus nigroris)

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. (as Acanthurus nigroris)

Randall, J.E. 1956. A revision of the surgeon fish genus Acanthurus. Pacific Science 10: 159–235. (as Acanthurus nigroris in part)

Randall, J.E. 2001. Surgeonfishes of Hawai'i and the World. Honolulu : Mutual Publishing and Bishop Museum Press 125 pp. (as Acanthurus nigroris in part)

Randall, J.E. 2002. Surgeonfishes of the world. Mutual Publishing and Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. (as Acanthurus nigroris in part)

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. (as Acanthurus nigroris)

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. (as Acanthurus nigroris)

Randall, J.E., DiBattista, J.D & Wilcox, C. 2011. Acanthurus nigros Günther, a valid species of surgeonfish, distinct from the Hawaiian A. nigroris Valenciennes. Pacific Science 65(2): 265-275. Abstract

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 (as Acanthurus nigroris)