Bluetail unicornfish
| Bluetail unicornfish | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Acanthuridae |
| Genus: | Naso |
| Subgenus: | Axinurus |
| Species: | N. caeruleacauda
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| Binomial name | |
| Naso caeruleacauda J. E. Randall, 1994
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The bluetail unicornfish (Naso caeruleacauda), also known as the blue unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the western central Pacific Ocean.
Taxonomy[edit]
The bluetail unicornfish was first formally described in 1994 by the American ichthyologist John Ernest Randall with its type locality given as Dumaguete on Negros in the Philippines.[2] This species is classified in the subgenus Axinurus within the genus Naso. [3] The genus Naso is the only genus in the subfamily Nasinae in the family Acanthuridae.[4]
Etymology[edit]
The bluetail unicornfish has the specific name caeruleacauda and this means "blue tail", an allusion to its "most striking color feature", the blue caudal fin,[3]
Description[edit]
The bluetail unicornfish has its dorsal fin supported by 4 or 5 spines and 28 to 30 soft rays while the anal fin contains 2 spines and 29 soft rays. Their body has a standard length which is between 2.75 and 2.8 times its depth. The dorsal profile of the head between the upper lip and the intraorbital space is straight. There is a bulge between the eyes and the nostrils.[5] The caudal fin is blue and the colour in life is bluish grey or brownish grey, paler in colour, even yellowish, on the lower body. There is a yellow patch beneath the pectoral fins.[6] The maximum published total length of this species is 40 cm (16 in) and the maximum weight is 1.1 kg (2.4 lb).[5]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
The bluetail unicornfish is found in the western central Pacific in Indonesia, the Philippines and the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. It has also been recorded off northeastern Madagascar.[1] This species forms schools over steep seaward sloped, typically at depths in excess of 15 m (49 ft).[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; Choat, J.H.; et al. (2012). "Naso caeruleacauda". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T177968A1505905. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T177968A1505905.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Naso". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ a b Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 January 2021). "Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 2): Families EPHIPPIDAE, LEIOGNATHIDAE, SCATOPHAGIDAE, ANTIGONIIDAE, SIGANIDAE, CAPROIDAE, LUVARIDAE, ZANCLIDAE and ACANTHURIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2023-07-13.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2023). "Naso caeruleacauda" in FishBase. February 2023 version.
- ^ John E. Randall (1994). "Unicornfishes of the Subgenus Axinurus (Perciformes: Acanthuridae: Naso), with Description of a New Species". Copeia. 1994 (1): 116–124. doi:10.2307/1446677.
- ^ Dianne J. Bray. "Naso caeruleacauda". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
External links[edit]
- Photos of Bluetail unicornfish on Sealife Collection
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