Acanthurus pyroferus

Acanthurus pyroferus
Adult, in Indonesia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Acanthurus
Species:
A. pyroferus
Binomial name
Acanthurus pyroferus
Kittlitz, 1834
Synonyms[2]
  • Hepatus pyroferus
  • (Kittlitz, 1834) Acanthurus armiger
  • Valenciennes, 1835 Acanthurus celebicus
  • Bleeker, 1853 Hepatus celebicus
  • (Bleeker, 1853) Rhombotides celebicus
  • (Bleeker, 1853) Acanthurus fuscus
  • Steindachner, 1861

Acanthurus pyroferus, chocolate surgeonfish, mimic surgeonfish, orange-gilled surgeonfish, Pacific mimic surgeon, and yellowspot surgeon, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, which includes the sugeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Taxonomy

Acanthurus pyroferus was first formally described in 1834 by the Prussian explorer and naturalist Heinrich von Kittlitz with its type locality given as Uléa in the Caroline Islands.[3] The genus Acanthurus is one of two genera in the tribe Acanthurini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Acanthurinae which is one of two subfamilies in the family Acanthuridae.[4]

Etymology

Acanthurus pyroferus has the specific name pyroferus, which means "firebearer", this is thought to be a reference to the orange colour (described as saffron by Kittlitz) to the rear of the gill slit and above the pectoral fin.[5]

Description

Acanthurus pyroferus has its dorsal fin supported by 8 spines and between 27 and 30 soft rays while the anal fin is supported by 3 spines and between 24 and 28 soft rays.[2] The overall colour of this fish's body is yellowish brown with a white band around its mouth. There is a band of dark colour running from the chin to the upper margin of the operculum with a patch of orange coloration around the base of the pectoral fin. The caudal fin has a white posterior margin.[6] The maximum published total length of this species is 29 cm (11 in).[2]

Distribution and habitat

Acanthurus pyroferus is found in the Indo-Pacific. In the Indian Ocean it is found at the Scott and Ashmore Reef, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands while in the Pacific it extends as far east as French Polynesia and the Line Islands, north to Wakayama Prefecture in Japan and south to New South Wales. It is found at depths between 2 and 60 m (6 ft 7 in and 196 ft 10 in), living solitarily on reefs.[1]

Biology

This species feeds by grazing on algae and detritus.[1] The juveniles may be venomous as there are grooves in the spines but the ability to produce venom appears to be lost in adults.[2]

Juveniles
Centropyge flavissima mimic, in French Polynesia
Centropyge vrolikii mimic, in Indonesia

Acanthurus pyroferus juveniles mimic Centropyge flavissima in the central and eastern islands of the South Pacific, but in the western Pacific, such as Palau where this species is absent, they mimic C. vrolikii. In areas where both C. flavissima and C. vrolikii occur, such as at Vanuatu, A. pyroferus juveniles have been recorded mimicking either species, but also sometimes appearing to mimic C. flavissima × vrolikii hybrids.[2][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Choat, J.H.; Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; et al. (2012). "Acanthurus pyroferus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T178022A1523952. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T178022A1523952.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Acanthurus pyroferus". FishBase. June 2023 version.
  3. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Acanthurus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  4. ^ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.
  5. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 January 2021). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 2): Families EPHIPPIDAE, LEIOGNATHIDAE, SCATOPHAGIDAE, ANTIGONIIDAE, SIGANIDAE, CAPROIDAE, LUVARIDAE, ZANCLIDAE and ACANTHURIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  6. ^ Bray, D.J. (2022). "Acanthurus pyroferus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  7. ^ Randall, John E. (2005). "A Review of Mimicry in Marine Fishes". Zoological Studies. 44 (3): 299–328.