Acanthurus xanthopterus
Acanthurus xanthopterus (Black surgeon, Yellowfin surgeonfish) has a large natural distribution in the Indo-Pacific: from the coast of East Africa to Hawaii, north to the southern coast of Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia. The fish can be found singly or in small groups in shallow sheltered bays and lagoons at depths of 5 to 90 meters.
The body coloration of Acanthurus xanthopterus is monochromatic, gray-blue. There is a yellowish blurred horizontal stripe near the eyes. The pectoral fins are also yellowish. Dorsal and anal plumage with 3-4 thin horizontal lines. Tail plumage in the shape of a month of blue. There is a black spike near the root of the tail plumage. Juveniles are brown in color, turning white near the tail plumage. The unpaired fins are decorated with white stripes. Sexual differences are absent. In nature, fish reach 50 cm in length, while in aquariums they are usually less than 30 cm.
Black surgeon, because of its large size and unattractive coloration is not in high demand among aquarists, this explains the fact that these fish are rarely supplied to retailers. Acanthurus xanthopterus is preferably kept in very large aquariums of 1,000 liters, such as oceanariums, where this fish can open in all its glory.
This fish is extremely aggressive towards other fish. Therefore, care should be taken when keeping the dark surgeon in a shared aquarium with peaceful fish. Regular feeding, plenty of hiding places in the aquarium and plenty of free space for swimming will to some extent blunt the aggressive fervor of Acanthurus xanthopterus. Care should also be taken when transporting these fish, as they are very sensitive to moving and acclimatizing to a new aquarium.
Water parameters: temperature 22-26° C, pH 8,1-8,4. Requires enhanced aeration and strong water flow.
Lighting is preferably bright, lasting at least 10 hours a day.
The main menu dark surgeon are algae, so the aquarium should always be live stones. In the case of a lack of algae in the aquarium, you need to feed the fish food containing spirulina, as well as small crustaceans. It should be noted that the fish quickly become accustomed to life in an aquarium, and after a short time begins to eat almost any food, both plant and animal origin.
Reproduction
The dark surgeon does not breed under aquarium conditions.
