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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: orangespine unicornfish
Synonyms and Other Names: Synonyms (from Eschmeyer et al. 1998) include: Monoceros ecornis, Prionurus eoume, Prionurus filamentosus, Monoceros garretti, Naseus incornis. Original combination = Acanthurus lituratus.
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification:
Acanthurids are generally disc-shaped, laterally compressed fishes with one or more spines or keeled bony plates on each side of the caudal peduncle. The dorsal fin is continuous and unnotched. Many species are very colorful.
The orangespine unicornfish has a continuous, unnotched dorsal fin with VI spines and 27-30 soft rays. The anal fin is long, with II spines and 28-30 soft rays. The caudal fin is lunate; adult males develop a long filament from the tip of each lobe. The caudal peduncle bears two forward-directed knife-like plates. These plates are not well-developed in juveniles. The keeled peduncular plates are bright orange. Body color is grey-brown with distinctive black, yellow and white markings (see photo above). The species lacks any anterior protuberance or "horns" along that forehead that are found in some other acanthurids.
Summarized from Randall 2001.
Size: to 45 cm (Randall 2001)
Native Range:
Throughout the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea (excepting the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf) south to Natal and east to Hawaii and French Polynesia. In the western Pacific from Suruga Bay (Honsu) to the southern Great Barrier Reef (Randall 2001). The Indian Ocean population is recognized as a separate species, Naso elegans (Froese and Pauly 2005).
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Hawaii |
Caribbean |
Interactive maps: Continental US, Alaska, Hawaii, Caribbean
Nonindigenous Occurrences:
In Florida, this species has been observed off Boca Raton (in 2000 [Semmens et al 2004, Reef 2008] and in 2001 [Reef 2008]). In Georgia, this species was sighted at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary in 2006 (Reef 2008). One fish was sighted for each observation.
Ecology: A shallow-water species, the orangespine unicornfish is found near coral reefs or over rocky bottoms (Randall 2001; Froese and Pauly 2005). The species feeds on benthic algae, such as Sargassum and Gracilaria (Nelson and Tsutsui 1981; Randall 2001).
Means of Introduction:
Probable aquarium release. This species is one of four tangs that together make up 90% of Hawaii's ornamental fish-export market (Kusumaatmadja et al. 2004).
The species is used a food fish in its native range (Randall 2001), even though it is rarely poisonous (Froese and Pauly 2005).
Status: Unknown.
Impact of Introduction: Unknown.
Remarks:
The plates along the caudal peduncle may inflict a venomous sting (Froese and Pauly 2005).
Numerous common names include: Naso tang, lipstick tang, tricolor tang, barcheek unicornfish, clown tang, orangespine surgeonfish, redlip surgeonfish, striped unicornfish.
Eschmeyer, W. N., C. J. Ferraris, Jr., M. D. Hoang and D. J. Long. 1998. A Catalogue of the Species of Fishes. Preliminary Version 2, November 1996. California Academy of Sciences. Available online at: http://www.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/species/.
Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2005. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (09/2004).
Kusumaatmadja, R., J. Parks, S. Atkinson and J. Dierking. 2004. Toward MAC certification of Hawaiian Islands collectors: a project update. Live Reef Information Bulletin 12: 26-28.
Nelson, S.G. and R.N. Tsutsui. 1981. Browsing by herbivorous reef-fishes on the agarophyte Gracilaria edulis (Rhodophyta) at Guam, Mariana Islands. Fourth International Coral Reef Symposium, Manila (Philippines), 18-22 May, 1981.
Randall, J.E. 2001. Acanthuridae. Surgeonfishes (tangs, unicornfishes). pp 3653-3683 In: Carpenter, K. E. and V. Niem (Eds.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Vo. 6. Bony fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles. FAO, Rome.
Reef. 2008. Reef Environmental Education Foundation. Exotic species sighting program and volunteer database. World wide web electronic publication. www.reef.org, date of download March 10, 2008).
Other Resources:
FishBase Fact Sheet
Author: Pamela J. Schofield
Revision Date: 1/5/2009 Citation for this information:
Pamela J. Schofield. 2009. Naso lituratus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=2553> Revision Date: 1/5/2009
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