Sealife guideThe palette surgeonfishParacanthurus hepatus

Last updated on 09/17/2024 at 11:51 PM

Taxonomy

Common name: Palette surgeonfish, Dory
French name: Poisson chirurgien bleu à palette, Dory
Scientific name: Paracanthurus hepatus (Linnaeus, 1766)
Family name: Acanthuridae
Order name: Acanthuriformes
Class name: Actinopterygii

Did you know ?

The palette surgeonfish, well kown as Dory, is one from famous fish species from « Finding Nemo » film !

The palette surgeonfish (Paracanthurus hepatus) © Ian Scott | Dreamstime.com

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

Within the same family

Blue tang surgeonfish
(Acanthurus coeruleus)

Bluetail unicornfish
(Naso caeruleacauda)

Doctorfish
(Acanthurus chirurgus)

Humpback unicornfish
(Naso brachycentron)

Kole tang
(Ctenochaetus strigosus)

Mimic surgeonfish
(Acanthurus pyroferus)

Orangeband surgeonfish
(Acanthurus olivaceus)

Orangespine unicornfish
(Naso lituratus)

Discover also

Bleeker's damsel
(Chrysiptera bleekeri)

Buffalo sculpin
(Enophrys bison)

Checkerboard wrasse
(Halichoeres hortulanus)

Double barred rabbitfish
(Siganus virgatus)

Jolthead porgy
(Calamus bajonado)

Knife razorfish
(Cymolutes praetextatus)

Mosshead warbonnet
(Chirolophis nugator)

Sailfin snapper
(Symphorichthys spilurus)

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

Gobie drapeau
(Amblyeleotris yanoi)