Appearance and lifestyle:
Convict surgeons (Acanthurus triostegus) are greyish-green oval fish that have a white belly and black vertical stripes. They can grow up to 25cm.
Habitat:
Found on shallow inshore reefs, in rock pools and around sheltered wharfs and jetties where seaweeds and algae are plentiful.
Diet:
They graze throughout the day on seaweeds and are the only vegetarian fishes to digest their food completely.
Threats:
Climate change, overharvesting, habitat loss etc.
(Photo: Geoff Spiby)
They are often seen in shoals ranging from a few fish to thousands
Breeding occurs at full moons during late winter and spring
The only vegetarian fish to digest their food completely.