WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Horseface Unicornfish

Naso fageni

Also known as: Blunt Unicornfish, Doctorfish, Horseface Unicorn, Lancetfish, Thorntail, Thorntail Fish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2012
Juvenile
@JarJar · LK, Sri Lanka · February 20141 / 2
01

Overview

Found singly or in small schools, patrolling steadily over coral and rocky reefs, in search of plankton.

Surgeonfish have a blade like spine in the tail that points outwards when bent, unicorns have two hook-like plates along the tail, these are used for defence and are as sharp as a surgeons scalpel, hence the name "Surgeonfish".
Some species are venomous.

02

How to identify

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 2
LIVES IN

Found singly or in small schools, patrolling steadily over coral and rocky reefs, in search of plankton.

04

Juvenile photos 2

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderAcanthuriformes
    5. familyAcanthuridae
    6. genusNaso
    7. speciesNaso fageni Morrow, 1954

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Surgeonfishes-Tangs-Unicornfishes (Acanthuridae)