Animalia Life

Prionurus maculatus
FAMILY
Acanthuridae
TAXONOMY
Prionurus maculatus Ogilby, 1887, Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
German: Gelbfleken-Sдgedoktor; Japanese: Nizadai.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Body is compressed and slightly elongated, with a protruding mouth and a snout with a dorsal profile that is slightly concave. there are nine spines and 24–26 soft rays in the dorsal fin, three spines and 23–25 soft rays in the anal fin, 17–18 soft rays in the pectoral fin, and one spine and five rays in the pelvic fin. the caudal fin is slightly emarginate to truncate in shape. as with other members of this genus, this species is distinguished by the presence of three peduncular plates, each having a lateral keel on either side of the caudal peduncle. the body coloration is bluish gray with several small yellow spots. the peduncular plates are black, and the keels are blue, usually with a white mark on the last plate. the caudal fin is gray with yellow spots and has a deep blue margin, as does the anal fin. juveniles have a series of narrow yellow bars that eventually, with age, become vertical rows of yellow spots. grows to about 17.3 in (44 cm) in length.
DISTRIBUTION
Western Pacific and restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, from southern Queensland on the Great Barrier Reef south to New South Wales and east to Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, and the Kermadec Islands. Waifs recruit seasonally to New Zealand during warmer summer months but probably do not reproduce successfully.
HABITAT
Tropical and warm temperate waters in protected areas of coral reefs, rocky reefs, and bays but also on outer coral and rocky reefs. Depth range is 6.6–98 ft (2–30 m).
BEHAVIOR
This species usually is found in aggregations.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Herbivorous. Feeds on benthic algae that grows mainly on rocks or coral substrates.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Probably pair-spawns but also may form spawning aggregations in which pair spawning occurs. Males probably change color pattern to attract a female from the aggregation, and the two touch their ventral surfaces together before the release of gametes, without an upward dash into the water column. Eggs and larvae are pelagic.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
May be taken incidentally as a food fish.

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