About Acanthurus guttatus Forster, 1801
Acanthurus guttatus Forster, 1801, commonly called the whitespotted surgeonfish, has a deep, laterally compressed body. Its base body color is grey, which darkens toward the rear of the body, and the entire body is covered in abundant white spots. A white band runs just behind the eye, extending from the operculum to the nape of the neck. A second white band encircles the body just behind the yellow pelvic fins. All other fins are dark in color, except for the relatively small caudal fin, which is half pale yellow and half black. The dorsal fin has 9 spines and 27 to 30 soft rays, the anal fin has 3 spines and 23 to 26 soft rays, and the pectoral fin has 17 to 20 rays. This species reaches a maximum total length of 26 cm (10 in).
The whitespotted surgeonfish occurs in shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific. Its native range stretches from Mauritius to southern Japan, Indonesia, and northern Australia; in 2003, individuals were observed off the coast of Florida near Palm Beach. Its primary habitat is exposed reefs and rocky shores, where it lives in groups. The white spots on its body may provide camouflage in churned, bubble-filled water.
