Color: Silvery to bluish-gray body with fine, pale blue horizontal lines.
Body Shape: Deep-bodied and oval-shaped, like other Acanthurus species.
Size: Can grow up to 50 cm (20 inches) in the wild.
Tail: Often has a crescent-shaped caudal fin, especially in larger adults.
Spine: Like all surgeonfish, it has a sharp scalpel-like spine at the base of its tail used for defense.
Found throughout the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea to Hawaii and French Polynesia.
Prefers deep lagoons and outer reef slopes, usually at depths of 10 to 90 meters.
Swims in small groups or solitary.
Primarily herbivorous, grazing on algae.
Occasionally feeds on detritus and diatoms.
In captivity (though rare): Accepts algae sheets, spirulina-based foods, and veggie pellets.
