# Prionurus

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***Prionurus*** is a [genus](/source/Genus) of marine [ray-finned fishes](/source/Ray-finned_fish) belonging to the [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) [Acanthuridae](/source/Acanthuridae), the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs, although some of the species in this genus are called sawtails or doctorfish. The species in this genus are found in the Pacific Ocean with one species, *P. biafraensis*, found in the Atlantic Ocean.

## Taxonomy

*Prionurus* was first proposed as a [monospecific genus](/source/Monospecific_genus) in 1804 by the French [naturalist](/source/Naturalist) [Bernard Germain de Lacépède](/source/Bernard_Germain_de_Lac%C3%A9p%C3%A8de) when he [described](/source/Species_description) *Prionurus microlepidotus*.[1] Lacépède did not give a [type locality](/source/Type_locality_(biology)) but the type was collected by [François Péron](/source/Fran%C3%A7ois_P%C3%A9ron) off [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales).[2] The genus *Prionurus* is the only genus in the [tribe](/source/Tribe_(biology)) Prionurini which is one of three tribes in the [subfamily](/source/Subfamily) [Acanthurinae](/source/Acanthurinae) which is one of two subfamiles in the family Acanthuridae.[3]

## Etymology

*Prionurus* means "sawtail" a reference to the 3 to 7 immobile keeled bony plates on each side of the [caudal peduncle](/source/Caudal_peduncle).[4]

## Species

There are currently seven recognized species in this genus:[5]

- *[Prionurus biafraensis](/source/Prionurus_biafraensis)* ([Blache](/source/Jacques_Blache) & [Rossignol](/source/Martial_Rossignol), 1961) - Biafra doctorfish
- *[Prionurus chrysurus](/source/Prionurus_chrysurus)* [J. E. Randall](/source/John_Ernest_Randall), 2001
- *[Prionurus laticlavius](/source/Prionurus_laticlavius)* ([Valenciennes](/source/Achille_Valenciennes), 1846) - razor surgeonfish
- *[Prionurus maculatus](/source/Prionurus_maculatus)* [J. D. Ogilby](/source/James_Douglas_Ogilby), 1887 - yellowspotted sawtail
- *[Prionurus microlepidotus](/source/Prionurus_microlepidotus)* [Lacépède](/source/Bernard_Germain_%C3%89tienne_De_La_Ville,_Comte_De_Lac%C3%A9p%C3%A8de), 1804 - sixplate sawtail
- *[Prionurus punctatus](/source/Prionurus_punctatus)* [T. N. Gill](/source/Theodore_Gill), 1862 - yellowtail surgeonfish
- *[Prionurus scalprum](/source/Prionurus_scalprum)* Valenciennes, 1835 - scalpel sawtail

## Characteristics

*Prionurus* species have oval, compressed bodies with a steep angle on the head above the snout. The small mouth is protrusible and is positioned low on the head. The teeth are set closely together and are moderately large, flattened and have serrated edges. They have 8 or 9 spines in the [dorsal fin](/source/Dorsal_fin) and 3 spines in the [anal fin](/source/Anal_fin). The caudal peduncle has between 3 and 7 bony plates with sharp keels on each side.[6] The spined keels in the caudal peduncle are immobile in this genus compared to mobile ones in other surgeonfishes.[3] These fishes vary in their maximum published [total lengths](/source/Total_length) from 20 cm (7.9 in) in *P. biafraensis* to 70 cm (28 in) in *P. microlepidotus*.[5]

## Distribution

*Prionurus* have a predominantly Pacific range with six of the seven species being found in the Pacific Ocean,[5] two of these, *P. laticlavus* and *P. punctatus* being [endemic](/source/Endemism) to the eastern Pacific[6] and one, *P. biafraensis*, being endemic to the Eastern Atlantic.[5]

## References

1. J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). *Fishes of the World*. 5th ed. Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6.

1. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (eds.) (12 January 2021). ["Order ACANTHURIFORMES (part 2): Families EPHIPPIDAE, LEIOGNATHIDAE, SCATOPHAGIDAE, ANTIGONIIDAE, SIGANIDAE, CAPROIDAE, LUVARIDAE, ZANCLIDAE and ACANTHURIDAE"](https://etyfish.org/acanthuriformes2/). *The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database*. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 2 August 2023.

1. ["Genus: Prionurus, Surgeonfishes, Sawtails"](https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/sftep/en/thefishes/taxon/2163). *Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system*. [Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute](/source/Smithsonian_Tropical_Research_Institute). Retrieved 2 August 2023.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Prionurus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prionurus) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prionurus?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.