Scientific Name
Ctenochaetus striatus

Common Name
Striated surgeonfish

Biology
Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27-31; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 24 - 28. Body dark olive-brown. Orange spots on head. Pectoral fin yellowish, caudal and ventral fins brown, anterior part of caudal fin pale. Each side of caudal peduncle with sharp, forward-pointing erectile spine which folds down into a horizontal groove. Scales minute. Juveniles with 8 - 12 pale stipes inclining downward and backwards on body. Teeth movable, slender, tips incurved and expanded; upper jaw 5-6 denticulations, lower only 3-4. Gill rakers 27-36 in anterior row, 29-42 in posterior row.

Classification

Classified By

Quoy & Gaimard, 1825

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes (Acanthuridae)

Distribution

Region

Indo-Pacific

Distribution

Indo-Pacific: throughout the region excluding the Hawaiian, Marquesan and Easter islands. Record from Baker Island (US Minor Islands) based on a photograph (Ref. 42056). Absent from Malden and Jarvis islands (Ref. 1602).

Range

35°N - 30°S, 32°E - 130°W

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

24 °C

Water Temperature To

28 °C

Depth From - meters

3 m

Depth To - meters

30 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 3 - 30 m (Ref. 27115), usually 6 - 30 m (Ref. 58652)

Trophic Level

2 s.e. 0.00 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

26.0 cm

Common Length

18.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5020 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial

Vulnerability

Low vulnerability (17 of 100)

Resilience

High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.87)

Threat To Humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 9513)

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated