Surgeonfishes: fishes of the family Acanthuridae

Surgeonfishes comprise one of the largest and most abundant family of reef fishes found in the Hawaiian islands. The more than twenty species are characterized by sharp lateral scalpel-like spines near their tail giving the family its name. Some species are called tangs while those of the genus Naso are called unicornfishes because of the unicorn like forehead extension found on most of them. The Acanthuridae (surgeonfish family) are mostly herbivores and play an importrant ecological role consuming turf algae. The caudal spines posessed by surgeonfishes can lacerate or envenom a handler. As well, they may be poisonous with ciguatera. Surgeonfishes are therefore categorized as dangerous marine animals.