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Yellow Tail Surgeonfish - Acanthurus xanthopterus
The Yellow Tail Surgeonfish - Acanthurus xanthopterus is Grayish blue to purple disk-shaped body, laterally compressed; yellow areas in front of and behind eyes; yellow on pectoral fins. Dorsal and anal fins with four to five yellow stripes separated by blue; blur band at base of fins. Faint white bar at base of bluish lunate tail; single spine on caudal peduncle. Eyes high on head; single continuous dorsal fin.
The yellowfin surgeonfish or Cuvier's surgeonfish is one of several marine fish that change color as they get older. This characteristic confused fish identification, and originally put the young and adults in different species. With the arrival of aquaria and later, coral reef aquaculture, specialists noticed the color transformation. Only recently have zoologists begun to understand their metamorphosis.
