Sealife guideThe orangeband surgeonfishAcanthurus olivaceus
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.
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

Japanese surgeonfish
(Acanthurus japonicus)
(Acanthurus japonicus)

Palelipped surgeonfish
(Acanthurus leucocheilus)
(Acanthurus leucocheilus)

Yellowfin surgeonfish
(Acanthurus xanthopterus)
(Acanthurus xanthopterus)

Powder blue tang
(Acanthurus leucosternon)
(Acanthurus leucosternon)

Ocean tang
(Acanthurus bahianus)
(Acanthurus bahianus)

Mimic surgeonfish
(Acanthurus pyroferus)
(Acanthurus pyroferus)

Striped surgeonfish
(Acanthurus lineatus)
(Acanthurus lineatus)

Sohal surgeonfish
(Acanthurus sohal)
(Acanthurus sohal)
Within the same family

Humpback unicornfish
(Naso brachycentron)
(Naso brachycentron)

Orangespine unicornfish
(Naso lituratus)
(Naso lituratus)

Bluetail unicornfish
(Naso caeruleacauda)
(Naso caeruleacauda)

Paletail unicornfish
(Naso brevirostris)
(Naso brevirostris)

Kole tang
(Ctenochaetus strigosus)
(Ctenochaetus strigosus)

Sailfin tang
(Zebrasoma velifer)
(Zebrasoma velifer)

Indian sailfin surgeonfish
(Zebrasoma desjardinii)
(Zebrasoma desjardinii)

Palette surgeonfish
(Paracanthurus hepatus)
(Paracanthurus hepatus)
Explore also

Blackfin barracuda
(Sphyraena qenie)
(Sphyraena qenie)

Blue runner
(Caranx crysos)
(Caranx crysos)

Philippines wrasse
(Pseudocoris bleekeri)
(Pseudocoris bleekeri)

Cigar wrasse
(Cheilio inermis)
(Cheilio inermis)

Checkerboard wrasse
(Halichoeres hortulanus)
(Halichoeres hortulanus)

Spotted scorpionfish
(Scorpaena plumieri)
(Scorpaena plumieri)

Violet squirrelfish
(Sargocentron violaceum)
(Sargocentron violaceum)

Leaf scorpionfish
(Taenianotus triacanthus)
(Taenianotus triacanthus)
Our latestUpdates

Sunday, March 23rd 2025
The plumose sea anemone
The plumose sea anemone is a key species in temperate and cold marine ecosystems. Its high adaptability, morphological diversity and reproductive strategies make it a crucial organism for understanding biological and ecological interactions in marine environments.

Saturday, March 22nd 2025
World Water Day 2025 | Save the glaciers
Glaciers are essential for drinking water, agriculture, industry, clean energy, and ecosystem preservation. However, their rapid melting threatens these vital resources, making it urgent to reduce carbon emissions and implement local strategies to protect these precious water reservoirs.

Friday, March 14th 2025
The narwhal
The narwhal is an Arctic cetacean well-known for its long, spiral tusk, which gives it a unique appearance. This cetacean is primarily found in the cold waters of the Arctic, where it lives in groups and is known for its seasonal migratory behaviors. The narwhal is of scientific interest due to its social behavior, biology and the mysteries surrounding the use of its tusk.
Photo of the Day

Lamantin de Floride
(Trichechus manatus latirostris)
(Trichechus manatus latirostris)