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Actinopteri (ray-finned fishes) > Acanthuriformes (Surgeonfishes) > Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes) > Acanthurinae
Etymology: Ctenochaetus: Greek, kteis, ktenos = comb + Greek, chaite = hair (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Quoy & Gaimard.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 35 m (Ref. 90102), usually 6 - 30 m (Ref. 58652). Tropical; 24°C - 28°C (Ref. 27115); 35°N - 30°S, 32°E - 130°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: throughout the region except the Hawaiian, Marquesas and Easter islands. Record from Baker Island (US Minor Islands) based on a photograph (Ref. 42056). Absent from Malden and Jarvis islands (Ref. 1602).

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 26.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2334); common length : 18.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3146); max. reported age: 36 years (Ref. 52229)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27-31; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 24 - 28. This species is distinguished by the following characters: body deep and compressed, its depth 1.9-2.3 times in standard length or SL; mouth small, teeth numerous (> 30 in jaws of adults), movable, slender and elongate, with expanded incurved tips which are denticulate on the lateral margin (6 denticulations on upper and 4 on lower teeth); total gill rakers on first gill arch 27-36; a continuous unnotched dorsal fin with VIII,27-31; AIII,24-28; caudal fin lunate, concavity 3.7-6 times in SL; a lancet-like spine on caudal peduncle which folds into a deep horizontal groove; colour dark olive to yellowish brown with blue or blue-grey lengthwise lines on body and small orange spots on head and nape; dorsal and anal fins with about 5 lengthwise dark bluish bands; pectoral fins pale with brownish yellow rays; a small blackish spot at rear base of dorsal fin of juveniles and small adults (Ref. 9808).

Inhabits reef flats and lagoon and seaward reefs to a depth of over 30 m. Occurs over coral (Ref. 58534), rock, pavement, or rubble substrates. May occur singly or in small to very large, often mixed-species aggregations (Ref. 48637). Feeds on surface film of blue-green algae and diatoms (making this species a key link in the ciguatera food chain) as well as on various small invertebrates.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

In Tahiti, spawning starts near full moon with the formation of schools of several thousand fish at various depths. The fish remain almost motionless for between 1 to 3 hrs, then change their normal color to pale grey. About 4 or 5 fishes rise a few yards above main school & swim around each other discharging milt & eggs, then return to former place & replaced by another group to spawn.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Randall, John E. | Collaborators

Randall, J.E and K.D. Clements, 2001. Second revision of the surgeonfish genus Ctenochaetus (Perciformes: Acanthuridae), with descriptions of two new species. Indo-Pac. Fish. (32):33 p. (Ref. 42056)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 125652)

Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 07 May 2010

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 9513)

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 24.6 - 29, mean 27.8 °C (based on 1078 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 0.5020 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02291 (0.01892 - 0.02774), b=2.98 (2.93 - 3.03), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 2.0 ±0.0 se; based on diet studies.

Generation time: 1.4 (1.1 - 2.7) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 14 growth studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (tmax = 36; K=0.87).

Prior r = 0.44, 95% CL = 0.29 - 0.66, Based on 1 stock assessment.

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Low vulnerability (16 of 100) .

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): (0 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 34 [21, 60] mg/100g ; Iron = 0.24 [0.12, 0.59] mg/100g ; Protein = 18.6 [17.5, 19.8] % ; Omega3 = 0.126 [0.082, 0.194] g/100g ; Selenium = 22.6 [12.9, 41.7] μg/100g ; VitaminA = 21.9 [5.6, 81.4] μg/100g ; Zinc = 0.429 [0.290, 1.310] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.

Ctenochaetus striatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)