Size: 125-275 mm

ID: Distinctive vertical bars, white caudle peduncle

Class: Actinopterygii / Ray-finned fishes

Order: Perciformes / Perch-like fishes

Family: Acanthuridae / Surgeonfishes

Genus Species: Acanthurus chirurgus / Doctorfish

Habitat: Reefs throughout the tropical western Atlantic from North America to southern Brazil (Rocha et al., 2002).

Food: Primarily herbivorous; feed on green and brown algae as well as small invertebrates. This species also ingests large amounts of sand, presumably to aid in the digestion of algae (Tilghman et al., 2001).