{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | image = {{Easy CSS image crop|Image=Doctorfish, Acanthurus chirurgus.jpg|desired_width=250|crop_right_perc=15|crop_left_perc=10|crop_bottom_perc=15|crop_top_perc=5}} | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{cite iucn |author=Rocha, L.A. |author2=Myers, R. |author3=Abesamis, R. |author4=Clements, K.D. |author5=Choat, J.H. |author6=McIlwain, J. |author7=Nanola, C. |author8=Russell, B. |author9=Stockwell, B. |display-authors=3 |date=2012 |title=''Acanthurus chirurgus'' |article-number=e.T177982A1510626 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T177982A1510626.en |access-date=3 December 2022}}</ref> | taxon = Acanthurus chirurgus | authority = (Bloch, 1787) | synonyms = {{Specieslist | Chaetodon chirurgus | Bloch, 1787 | Acanthurus phlebotomus | Valenciennes, 1835 }} | synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase>{{FishBase|Acanthurus|chirurgus|month=June|year=2023}}</ref> | range_map = Acanthurus chirurgus range.png | range_map_upright = }} The '''doctorfish tang''' ('''''Acanthurus chirurgus'''''), also known as the '''doctorfish''', is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. These fishes are found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

==Taxonomy== The doctorfish tang was first formally described as ''Chaetodon chirurgus'' in 1787 by the German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch with its type locality given as Martinique.<ref name = CofF>{{Cof genus|genus=Acanthurus|access-date=9 September 2023}}</ref> The genus ''Acanthurus'' is one of two genera in the tribe Acanthurini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Acanthurinae which is one of two subfamilies in the family Acanthuridae.<ref name = Nelson5>{{cite book |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |author1=J. S. Nelson |author2=T. C. Grande |author3=M. V. H. Wilson |year=2016 |pages= 497–502 |publisher=Wiley |ISBN= 978-1-118-34233-6 }}</ref>

==Etymology== The doctorfish tang has the specific name ''chirurgus'', meaning "surgeon", an allusion to the sharp scalpel-like spines on caudal peduncle, these also gave rise to the common names surgeonfish and doctorfish.<ref name = ETYFish>{{cite web | url = https://etyfish.org/acanthuriformes2/ | title = Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 2): Families EPHIPPIDAE, LEIOGNATHIDAE, SCATOPHAGIDAE, ANTIGONIIDAE, SIGANIDAE, CAPROIDAE, LUVARIDAE, ZANCLIDAE and ACANTHURIDAE | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | editor1= Christopher Scharpf | editor2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | name-list-style = amp |date = 12 January 2021 | access-date = 9 September 2023 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara}}</ref>

==Description== The doctorfish tang reaches a maximum size of {{convert|39|cm}} and {{convert|5.1|kg}}.<ref name = Fishbase/> ''Acanthurus chirurgus'' gets its common name for the structures called "scalpels", which are found on either side of the caudal peduncle. The "scalpel" is used during fights with other doctorfish and as a defense mechanism against predators. Its coloration generally varies from blue-gray to dark brown. 10 to 12 vertical bars are always present, but often faint. The edges of the caudal, dorsal, and anal fins are blue. There is also a faint blue ring that can be seen encircling the "scalpel" on either side.<ref name = FM>{{cite web |url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/acanthurus-chirurgus/ |title=Acanthurus chirurgus |access-date=9 September 2023 |work=Discover Fishes |publisher=Florida Museum}}</ref>

There is a black morph, as well, but it is neither a subspecies nor a regional mutation. It has only been documented a limited number of times.{{citation needed|date=September 2023}}

{{Multiple image | image1 = Doctorfish, West Bay, KY imported from iNaturalist photo 271292361.jpg | footer = In Grand Cayman | total_width = 500 | image2 = Doctorfish, Cobalt Coast imported from iNaturalist photo 345536263.jpg | align = center }}

==Range and habitat== This species is typically found among rocky outcrops and coral reefs. Its distribution includes the Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil, and the tropical west coast of Africa,<ref name = Fishbase/> although the African records may be misidentifications of ''Acanthurus monroviae''.<ref name = iucn/> It has been recorded twice recently (2012, 2016) in the central Mediterranean Sea.<ref name = ciesm>Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea (''Acanthurus chirurgus''). 2nd Edition. 2021. 366p. CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco.https://ciesm.org/atlas/fishes_2nd_edition/Acanthurus_chirurgus.pdf</ref>

==Behavior== {{Easy CSS image crop|Image=Acanthurus chirurgus 570598917.jpg|desired_width=250|crop_top_perc=40|crop_bottom_perc=25|caption=In Florida|crop_right_perc=15|crop_left_perc=10}} ''Acanthurus chirurgus'' spends its daylight hours grazing on algae and organic detritus. Its teeth are specially shaped for scraping algae and plant matter from rocks. Because it swallows its food whole, it has a gizzard-like organ in the intestine filled with particles of sand which help to grind food before it starts the digestive process.<ref name = FM/>

Spawning occurs during evening hours in a group event. Each egg is less than a millimeter in diameter and contains a small amount of oil for flotation. The translucent, plankton-like larvae hatch within 24 hours of fertilization. They are laterally compressed and diamond-shaped with large eyes and pectoral fins. Many body parts, such as scales and the dorsal and anal fins, do not develop until the larvae have reached 2–6&nbsp;mm in length. The "scalpel" does not appear until they are about 13&nbsp;mm long. As the "scalpel" grows, the anal and dorsal spines shrink. Once the fish reaches around 25&nbsp;mm in length, it moves to the bottom where it continues to grow, eventually reaching sexual maturity in roughly nine months.<ref name = FM/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== {{Commons category|Acanthurus chirurgus}} *[http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=27. ''Acanthurus chirurgus'', Doctorfish.] Marinebio.org. Retrieved September 11, 2007. *Humann, P. and N. Deloach. ''Reef Fish Identification - Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas.'' New World Publications Inc., Jacksonville. pp.&nbsp;34–35.

==External links== * {{sealifephotos|159580}}

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doctorfish tang Category:Fish of the Western Atlantic Category:Fish of West Africa doctorfish tang Category:Fish of Aruba Category:Marine fish of Nicaragua