Fish
Yellowfin Surgeonfish
Acanthurus xanthopterus
A large grey-purple surgeonfish with yellow-tinged pectoral fins, grazing algae on KZN's coral and rocky reefs.
Also known as doktervis, surgeon, surgeonfish, yellowmask surgeonfish
- Typical size
- Commonly 30-50 cm
- Habitat
- Coral and rocky reef with adjacent sand
- Depth
- About 5-40 m
The yellowfin surgeonfish is among the biggest of the surgeonfishes, deep-bodied and grey to dusky purple with a yellowish wash across the front of the pectoral fins and a faint yellow band before the eye. Like all surgeonfish it carries a sharp, scalpel-like spine on each side of the tail base, used in defence and disputes.
It grazes algae and detritus over reef and adjacent sand on the northern KZN reefs, often in loose aggregations. Divers should note the tail spines when handling any surgeonfish, as they can inflict a deep cut. Otherwise it is a placid grazer, sometimes seen in large numbers on subtropical reefs like Sodwana.