Saltwater
Elongate surgeonfish
Acanthurus mata
Acanthuridae, Acanthurinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 50 cm
- Body shape
- Deep-bodied
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 2,657 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in American Samoa, Australia, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Ecuador, and 34 more countries.
Videos
Yellowmask surgeonfish (Acanthurus mata) at Crystal Rock, Komodo National Park, 2 May 2019.
orobouricalMar 14, 2021
Acanthurus mata
Jadwiga MorskaSep 19, 2016
More about the species
Description
Adults inhabit steep slopes, often in turbid waters, generally in the vicinity of coral reefs or rocky bottoms. They form resident spawning aggregations. Adults often seen in schools, feeding mid-water on plankton. Feed on zooplankton. Marketed fresh. Flesh is almost never poisonous, but incidence of ciguatera poisoning was reported from Nauru I.. The retractile sharp blades of the caudal peduncle can be dangerous (https://www.monaconatureencyclopedia.com/acanthurus-mata-2/?lang=en, ver. 12/2021)
Other names
Other scientific names
- Acanthurus bleekeri
- Acanthurus weberi
- Chaetodon mata
- Chaetodon meta
- Hepatus weberi
In other languages
- Aflang kirurgfisk
- Bleeker's surgeonfish, Blue-lined surgeonfish, Bluelined surgeonfish, Elongate surgeon, Lancet fish, Mata surgeonfish, Pale surgeon, Pale surgeonfish, Striped surgeonfish, Surgeonfish, Tang, White-tail lancet, Yellowmask, Yellowmask surgeonfish
Articles
All articles
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
From freshwater to saltwater3 min read
What is different in a saltwater aquarium: salt, refractometer, live rock and corals. An introduction for anyone thinking of giving it a try.