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)
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)
Black-spot surgeonfish
(Acanthurus bariene)
Blue tang surgeonfish (Acanthurus coeruleus)
Blue tang surgeonfish
(Acanthurus coeruleus)
Doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus)
Doctorfish
(Acanthurus chirurgus)
Ocean tang (Acanthurus bahianus)
Ocean tang
(Acanthurus bahianus)
Powder blue tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
Powder blue tang
(Acanthurus leucosternon)
Sohal surgeonfish (Acanthurus sohal)
Sohal surgeonfish
(Acanthurus sohal)
Striped surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus)
Striped surgeonfish
(Acanthurus lineatus)
Yellowfin surgeonfish (Acanthurus xanthopterus)
Yellowfin surgeonfish
(Acanthurus xanthopterus)
Within the same family
Bluetail unicornfish (Naso caeruleacauda)
Bluetail unicornfish
(Naso caeruleacauda)
Humpback unicornfish (Naso brachycentron)
Humpback unicornfish
(Naso brachycentron)
Indian sailfin surgeonfish (Zebrasoma desjardinii)
Indian sailfin surgeonfish
(Zebrasoma desjardinii)
Kole tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus)
Kole tang
(Ctenochaetus strigosus)
Orangespine unicornfish (Naso lituratus)
Orangespine unicornfish
(Naso lituratus)
Paletail unicornfish (Naso brevirostris)
Paletail unicornfish
(Naso brevirostris)
Palette surgeonfish (Paracanthurus hepatus)
Palette surgeonfish
(Paracanthurus hepatus)
Sailfin tang (Zebrasoma velifer)
Sailfin tang
(Zebrasoma velifer)
Discover also
Black tail permit fish (Trachinotus falcatus)
Black tail permit fish
(Trachinotus falcatus)
Frostfin cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus hoevenii)
Frostfin cardinalfish
(Ostorhinchus hoevenii)
Greasy grouper (Epinephelus tauvina)
Greasy grouper
(Epinephelus tauvina)
Peppered butterflyfish (Chaetodon guttatissimus)
Peppered butterflyfish
(Chaetodon guttatissimus)
Queen triggerfish (Balistes vetula)
Queen triggerfish
(Balistes vetula)
Redcoat (Sargocentron rubrum)
Redcoat
(Sargocentron rubrum)
Redfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunulatus)
Redfin butterflyfish
(Chaetodon lunulatus)
Redmouth grouper (Aethaloperca rogaa)
Redmouth grouper
(Aethaloperca rogaa)

Our latestUpdates

The magic of Christmas decorations
Friday, December 19th 2025
The magic of Christmas decorations
Discover Christmas decorations in Florida: giant trees, illuminated palm trees, magical light displays and tropical settings to experience the holiday magic under the sun.
The dusky shark
Monday, December 15th 2025
The dusky shark
Discover the dusky shark, one of the world's largest coastal sharks, and learn why this powerful predator is essential to marine ecosystems.
Christmas magic at Disney hotels
Friday, December 12th 2025
Christmas magic at Disney hotels
Experience the magic of Christmas at Disney hotels: enchanting decorations, giant Christmas trees, dazzling lights and a festive holiday atmosphere.
Photo of the Day
Corbeille de Vénus (Euplectella aspergillum)
Corbeille de Vénus
(Euplectella aspergillum)