About Prionurus laticlavius (Valenciennes, 1846)
Prionurus laticlavius has an oval, compressed body with a steep dorsal profile on the head, and the eye is positioned high on the head. Its teeth are moderately large, closely set, flattened, and have strongly serrated edges. The dorsal fin is supported by 7 or 8 spines and 27 to 29 soft rays, while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 23 soft rays. There are 3 bony plates along each side of the caudal peduncle. The scales are small and ctenoid. Adults have an overall grey body color, which contrasts with a yellow caudal fin; there is a dark vertical bar through the eye, and a second dark vertical bar at the back of the head. Juveniles of this species are largely yellow in color. Common names for Prionurus laticlavius include razor surgeonfish, and the maximum published total length for this species is 60 cm (24 in), with a more typical total length of 25 cm (9.8 in).
Prionurus laticlavius is distributed in the eastern central Pacific Ocean, along the western coasts of Central and South America between Costa Rica in the north and Colombia in the south. It is also found around Cocos Island, Malpelo Island, and the Galápagos Islands. Records of this species exist as far north as the southern Gulf of California and the Revillagigedo Islands, but there is uncertainty over the taxonomic identity of these recorded individuals. It inhabits shallow water reefs, lives in small groups, and feeds on algae.
