Sealife guideThe orangeband surgeonfishAcanthurus olivaceus

Last updated on 09/05/2024 at 09:40 PM

Taxonomy

Common name: Orangeband surgeonfish
French name: Poisson chirurgien olive à bande orange, chirurgien à épaulettes, chirurgien gendarme (Polynésie)
Scientific name: Acanthurus olivaceus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Family name: Acanthuridae
Order name: Acanthuriformes
Class name: Actinopterygii

Description

The orangeband surgeonfish, as its name suggests, has a dominant greenish-brown color with a distinctive large, horizontally elongated oval orange patch that starts behind its eye and ends in a blue-violet comet-shaped tail in the middle of its body.

The orangeband surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus) © Rickard Zerpe sous licence Creative Commons

A thin light-colored border outlines its long dorsal and anal fins.

The orangeband surgeonfish is a modest-sized fish, reaching about 8 inches in length when fully grown.

Geographic range

The orangeband surgeonfish is found in the tropical waters of the central Pacific ocean and also in the Indian ocean around the coral reefs of Mauritius.

Diet

Like most surgeonfish, the orangeband surgeonfish is primarily herbivorous. It feeds on algae and detritus scraped from the surfaces of coral reefs and rocky bottoms using its beak-shaped mouth.

Did you know ?

As an herbivore, the orangeband surgeonfish helps maintain healthy coral reefs by controlling algae growth.

The orangeband surgeonfish is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The orangeband surgeonfish appears in the IUCN Red List since 2012 within the category Least Concern !

Within the same genus

Black-spot surgeonfish
(Acanthurus bariene)

Blue tang surgeonfish
(Acanthurus coeruleus)

Mimic surgeonfish
(Acanthurus pyroferus)

Ocean tang
(Acanthurus bahianus)

Palelipped surgeonfish
(Acanthurus leucocheilus)

Powder blue tang
(Acanthurus leucosternon)

Yellowfin surgeonfish
(Acanthurus xanthopterus)

Yellowmask surgeonfish
(Acanthurus mata)

Within the same family

Bluetail unicornfish
(Naso caeruleacauda)

Humpback unicornfish
(Naso brachycentron)

Indian sailfin surgeonfish
(Zebrasoma desjardinii)

Kole tang
(Ctenochaetus strigosus)

Orangespine unicornfish
(Naso lituratus)

Paletail unicornfish
(Naso brevirostris)

Palette surgeonfish
(Paracanthurus hepatus)

Sailfin tang
(Zebrasoma velifer)

Discover also

Atlantic blue marlin
(Makaira nigricans)

Black-faced blenny
(Tripterygion delaisi)

Guineafowl puffer
(Arothron meleagris)

Indian threadfish
(Alectis indica)

Knife razorfish
(Cymolutes praetextatus)

Lipspot moray
(Gymnothorax chilospilus)

Redband parrotfish
(Sparisoma aurofrenatum)

Striped goby
(Asterropteryx striata)

Our latestUpdates

Thursday, May 7th 2026

Faroe islands

Discover the Faroe islands, a remote archipelago between Iceland and Norway known for its dramatic cliffs, colorful villages, and untouched Nordic landscapes. Find travel tips, itineraries, hiking guides, local culture, and inspiration to explore this unique destination in the North Atlantic.

Wednesday, May 6th 2026

The short-finned pilot whale

Discover the tropical pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus), a highly social large cetacean from tropical and subtropical waters, specialized in deep dives in search of squid.

Thursday, April 23rd 2026

Where to see groupers in the Mediterranean ?

Discover where to see groupers in the Mediterranean: the best diving spots and protected marine areas to observe this iconic fish in its natural habitat.

Photo of the Day

Méduse bleue
(Aurelia aurita)