Mimic Surgeonfish (juvenile)

Acanthurus tristis is a Tang from the Indian Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 25 cm in length.

Description

It is a medium-sized tang. It has a laterally compressed body and a small mouth, such as angelfishes and butterflyfishes. Its body is pale brown with dark colored dorsal, anal and tail fins, with white edging on the tail. The head is greyish.

As a juvenile, it has a predominantly greyish in colour body marked along the flanks with thin rust-coloured vertical wavy bars. It has an orange ring around the eye. The caudal peduncle and the caudal fin are black, with the rear margin of the caudal fin being bright blue. It mimics the colors and pattern of Centropyge eibli when juvenile.

Distribution

Indian Ocean: Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea west to Maldives and Chagos Archipelago, and east to islands of southern Indonesia at least to Bali.

Habitat

It occurs in shallow lagoon and seaward reefs, in areas of mixed coral, rock or sand. Juveniles mimic the cryptic Centropyge eibli.