Acanthurus albipectoralis (with white pectoral)

''Acanthurus albipectoralis'', the whitefin surgeonfish, is a species of

marine Marine is an adjective meaning of or pertaining to the sea or ocean. Marine or marines may refer to: Ocean * Maritime (disambiguation) * Marine art * Marine biology * Marine debris * Marine habitats * Marine life * Marine pollution Military * ...

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...

belonging to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Acanthuridae Acanthuridae are the family of surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicornfishes. The family includes about 86 extant species of marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs. Many of the species are brightly colored and popular in aq ...

, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

Taxonomy

''Acanthurus albipectoralis'' Was first formally described in 1987 by

Gerald R. Allen Gerald Robert "Gerry" Allen (born March 26, 1942 in Los Angeles, California) is an American-born Australian ichthyologist. His career began in 1963, when he spent a semester at the University of Hawaii, where he also received a PhD in marine zo ...

and

Anthony Michael Ayling Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the '' Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton ...

with its type locality given as Swain Reef in the

Great Barrier Reef The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over over an area of approximately . The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, ...

off

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. The genus '' Acanthurus'' is one of two genera in the tribe Acanthurini which is one of three tribes in the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Acanthurinae ''Acanthurinae'' is a subfamily of fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, including 55 species in four genera. Description Among the species of the genera ''Acanthurus'' and ''Zebrasoma'' there are small anatomical differences: the fir ...

which is one of two subfamilies in the family Acanthuridae.

Etymology

''Acanthurus albipectoralis''h has the specific nae ''albipectoralis'' which is a compound of ''albus'', meaning "white", and ''pectoralis'', meaning "pectoral". This is a reference to the white distal partof the

pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

s contrasring with the overall black colour of this fish.

Description

''Acanthurus albipectoralis'' has an oblong, laterally compressed body with a blunt snout. The dorsal and anal fins are relatively long and low and are supported by 8 or 9 spines and between 22 and 33 soft rays for the

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through conv ...

and 3 spines and between 18 and 31 soft rays for the

anal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

. The

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...

is crescentic and has pointed tips on each lobe. The overall colour is black without any wavy blue lines. The pectoral fin has a blackish base and a clear white distal portion. This species attains a maximum publisjed

standard length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish m ...

of .

Distribution and habitat

''Acanthurus albipectoralis'' is found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean from eastern Australia to Tonga. They are found on the exposed outer slopes of reefs, typically in small groups high in the water column feeding on

zooplankton Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1758709 albipectoralis Fish of Oceania Fish described in 1987 Taxa named by Gerald R. Allen