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The Striped Surgeonfish is easily recognised by its colouration.
The upper three-quarters of the head and body are covered with
black-edged, blue and yellow stripes. The lower quarter is purple
to pale blue.
It has a lunate (glossary)
caudal fin and a long spine on the caudal peduncle.
The Striped Surgeonfish grows to 38cm in length.
It is found on exposed coral reefs throughout much of the central
and Indo-Pacific.
In Australia it is recorded from off northwestern Western Australia
and from the northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland to northern
New South Wales.
View a map
of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian
Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading:
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and
South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western
Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian
Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New
Holland. Pp. 433.
- Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics.
Pp. 330.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of
the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press.
Pp. 557.
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A Striped Surgeonfish at a depth of
4m, Southeast Horn, Osprey Reef, Coral Sea, November 1998. View
larger
image.
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