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)
(Acanthurus coeruleus)

Bluetail unicornfish
(Naso caeruleacauda)
(Naso caeruleacauda)

Kole tang
(Ctenochaetus strigosus)
(Ctenochaetus strigosus)

Mimic surgeonfish
(Acanthurus pyroferus)
(Acanthurus pyroferus)

Palelipped surgeonfish
(Acanthurus leucocheilus)
(Acanthurus leucocheilus)

Powder blue tang
(Acanthurus leucosternon)
(Acanthurus leucosternon)

Sohal surgeonfish
(Acanthurus sohal)
(Acanthurus sohal)

Yellowmask surgeonfish
(Acanthurus mata)
(Acanthurus mata)
Discover also

Cottonwick grunt
(Haemulon melanurum)
(Haemulon melanurum)

French grunt
(Haemulon flavolineatum)
(Haemulon flavolineatum)

Goldlined spinefoot
(Siganus guttatus)
(Siganus guttatus)

Graysby
(Cephalopholis cruentata)
(Cephalopholis cruentata)

Mental wrasse
(Oxycheilinus mentalis)
(Oxycheilinus mentalis)

Narrow lined pufferfish
(Arothron manilensis)
(Arothron manilensis)

Neon damselfish
(Pomacentrus coelestis)
(Pomacentrus coelestis)

Spanish hogfish
(Bodianus rufus)
(Bodianus rufus)
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