Scalpel doctor fish

Scalpel doctor fish
Arabian doctor fish
Systematics
Acanthomorphata Spinefish (Acanthopterygii) Perch relatives (Percomorphaceae) Order : Surgeonfish (Acanthuriformes) Family : Surgeonfish (Acanthuridae) Subfamily : Scalpel doctor fish
Scientific name
Acanthurinae

Scalpel doctor fish (Acanthurinae) are the largest subfamily of doctor fish . It contains 5 of the 6 genera of this family .

The scalpel doctor fish have a sharp " scalpel " at the root of their tail, with which they can defend themselves and also injure people. The scalpels are often highlighted in color and therefore easy to recognize. Due to their attractive coloring, scalpel doctor fish are often shown in public aquariums.

With the exception of the plankton-eating pallet doctor fish ( Paracanthurus hepatus ), scalpel doctor fish are herbivorous and graze on algae from coral reefs .

Yellow sail fin doctor

Systematics

In the internal systematics of the scalpel doctor fish , three tribes are distinguished, the Prionurinae with the genus Prionurus , the zebrasomini with the genera Paracanthurus and Zebrasoma and the Acanthurini with the genera Acanthurus and Ctenochaetus .

Surgeonfish (Acanthuridae)	Scalpel doctor fish (Acanthurinae)     NN     Acanthurini    Real surgeonfish ( Acanthurus )      Bristle-tooth doctor fish ( Ctenochaetus )   Zebra somini    Pallet doctor fish ( Paracanthurus )      Sailfin Doctorfish ( Zebrasoma )      Saw doctor fish (genus Prionurus )      Nose doctor fish (Nasinae)

literature

• Joseph S. Nelson : Fishes of the World. John Wiley & Sons, 2006, ISBN 0-471-25031-7 .
• André Luty: Doctor fish - way of life - care - species. Dähne Verlag, Ettlingen 1999, ISBN 3-921684-61-7 .
• Andreas Vilcinskas: Sea animals of the tropics , Franckh-Kosmos Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-440-07943-0 .
• Helmut Debelius and Rudie H. Kuiter : Doctor fish and their relatives. Ulmer Verlag Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-8001-3669-4 .