Whitefin Surgeonfish (Acanthurus albipectoralis)

Whitefin Surgeonfish Acanthurus albipectoralis
Name	Whitefin Surgeonfish
Name Lat.	Acanthurus albipectoralis
Family	Surgeonfishes
Family lat.	Acanthuridae
Order	Surgeonfishes
Order lat.	Acanthuriformes
Origin	Western Pacific
Habitat	Seaward reefs
Diet	Planktivore
pH	8.1-8.4
Hardness	8-10 °KH
Behavior	Semi-aggressive
Keeping	Individual, group
Reef Compatible	Yes
Care Level	Difficult
Life Span	3-5 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	33 cm
Temperature	22-28 °C
Salinity	33-36 ‰
Aquarium	~ 1.400 l
US Units
Size	13"
Temperature	72-82 °F
Salinity	1.020-1.025 sg
Aquarium	~ 360 gal

Distribution and habitat

The distribution area of Acanthurus albipectoralis is the tropical West Pacific, from the Great Barrier Reef (Australia) over the Coral Sea to Tonga. There they live mostly in lagoons and on steeply sloping outer reefs with sandy zones down to depths of 50 m.

Maintenance

They require a well-structured aquarium with plenty of swimming space and a reef structure (hiding, resting and retreat possibilities) with living stones which they can graze on and which act like a biological filter. Only lime-rich, heavy metal-free sands, gravels, stones or sea sand of various grain sizes may be used as substrate

Filters, skimmers and heaters are necessary to ensure water quality, as well as pumps to simulate tides, swells and bottom currents. Lighting must correspond to the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals

Salinity: 33-36 ‰	pH value: 8.1-8.4
Carbonate hardness: 8-10 °KH	Nitrate content: 2-8 mg/l
phosphate content: 0.01-0.1 mg/l	nitrite content: 0.0-0.05 mg/l

For salinity, an average value should be aimed for, which may only vary slightly by +/- 0.5 ‰. Ammonia and ammonium must not be measurable. Special attention must be paid to constantly good water quality.

Diet

In nature they feed mainly on zooplankton. The feed change usually succeeds without problems. The food supply should consist of a commercially available, frozen special food mix for plankton eaters or live and frozen food, such as mysis, artemia, krill and bosmids as well as cyclops, which also serve to keep them busy, supplemented with high-quality dry food. In addition, they need plenty of plant food, such as algae and seaweed (e.g. nori), which strengthens their immune system and reduces aggression. Fine coral sand serves as a digestive aid for them. It is recommended to feed small portions several times a day

Regular and varied feeding promotes health and increases resistance.

Behaviour and compatibility

It is recommended to keep them individually or better in a group of several animals. To avoid territorial fights, they should be introduced into the aquarium at the same time. They are hardly aggressive against other surgeonfishes, towards all other fishes they behave peacefully.

Sex dimorphism

External sexual characteristics are not known.

Reproduction and breeding

There are no known reports of successful breeding in the aquarium.

Important

A characteristic feature of surgeonfishes is the scalpel located on either side of the caudal peduncle, which can be unfolded from its pocket by bending the body.

As coral reef dwellers, they should not be maintained in a fish-only aquarium. With varied and frequent feeding, they can be maintained in challenging coral tanks without serious coral encroachment.

If different species are kept together, care should be taken to match the fish in terms of water quality and temperature requirements, as well as their social behavior, and to ensure that the setup meets the needs of all species kept together. New fish to be introduced must be acclimated slowly to the water in the aquarium.

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: Werner Winter; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: KUITER, DEBELIUS (2007): Atlas der Meeresfische: Die Fische an den Küsten der Weltmeere, Kosmos Verlag; ENGELMANN (2005): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Fische, Verlag Harri Deutsch

• Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF