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Whitemargin Unicornfish - Naso annulatus
It is brown/purplish in color and has a large, distinguishing "nasal" protrusion. The tail is black surrounded by a white margin. It is often found in large schools off tropical reefs, and it feeds on zooplankton. The fish has two scutes on the left side. These are found on the caudal peduncle near the tail. They can reach up to 1 meter in length but this group were mostly around 0.6 - 0.7 meter in size.
The whitemargin unicornfish is a tropical fish found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It can reach a length of 100 cm, making it one of the largest members of the family Acanthuridae.
Similar species: Butterflyfishes, Angelfishes
By Albert Kang
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Uploaded Aug 7, 2016. Captured Jul 3, 2016 06:54 in Bounty Beachfront, Daanbantayan, Cebu, Philippines.
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JungleDragon has exceeded 1,000 species of ray-finned fish! Ray-finned fish (Class Actinopterygii) compose half of all living vertebrates, and represent approximately 99% of the ~30,000 existing species of fish. They live in fresh and salt water environments, including mountain streams, swamps, ponds, icy polar waters, and the deep sea.
Ray-finned fish have some interesting features. Most extant (living) species have leptoid scales, which are lightweight and flexible. These scales increase fitness by allowing the fish to better evade predators and find food more efficiently. Ray-finned fish also have branchiostegal rays, which are long, curved bones that support the gills and increase the efficiency of pumping water across the gills. The feature that lends ray-finned fish their name is also one of their most unique. Unlike other groups of fish, ray-finned fish have fins that are webs of skin supported by bony spines (rays) rather than fleshy fins. These rays attach directly to their skeletons. The bony spines are deterrents against predators, who may not want to get impaled while eating their dinner. Furthermore, the location of the pelvic fins on ray-finned fish is high on their bodies, which increases their dexterity. Overall, these beautiful creatures have several adaptations that make them unique in the world of ichthyology. #JungleDragon
**A special thanks to Albert Kang, Marta Rubio Texeira, Zach Alley, and Danté Fenolio for giving us countless reasons to respect and be humbled by the beauty of fish. We have been inspired by their magnificence! Thank you for sharing your breathtaking photos on JungleDragon! Posted 6 years ago