''Prionurus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
surgeonfish
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 ...
es found mostly in the
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
with one species, ''P. biafraensis'', native to the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
.
Species
There are currently seven recognized species in this genus:
* ''
Prionurus biafraensis''
( Blache & Rossignol, 1961) - Biafra doctorfish
* ''
Prionurus chrysurus''
J. E. Randall, 2001
* ''
Prionurus laticlavius
''Prionurus laticlavius'' is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the eastern central Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to t ...
''
(Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a s ...
, 1846) - razor surgeonfish
* ''
Prionurus maculatus''
J. D. Ogilby, 1887 - yellowspotted sawtail
* ''
Prionurus microlepidotus''
Lacépède, 1804 - sixplate sawtail
* ''
Prionurus punctatus''
T. N. Gill, 1862 - yellowtail surgeonfish
* ''
Prionurus scalprum''
Valenciennes, 1835 - scalpel sawtail
References
Acanthuridae
Marine fish genera
Taxa named by Bernard Germain de Lacépède
{{Acanthuridae-stub