#acanthuriformes

[herpsandbirds]

Pinnate Batfish (Platax pinnatus), juvenile, family Ephippidae, order Acanthuriformes, Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia

The juveniles of this species mimic a toxic flatworm.

photograph by DiveIvanov

[fish-facing-forward]

Pomacanthus arcuatus

Grey Angelfish

Image source

Status: Least concern

Distribution: Widely found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Brazil to Canada

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Pucker up for the brown sweetlips! Also known as the Harry hotlips or the humpback sweetlips, these fish are named for their large, blubbery lips. Rather than kissing, however, they are used to suck up food off the ocean floor and soft out the delicious algae and invertebrates from bits of rubble and sand.

(Image: A brown sweetlips (Plectorhinchus gibbosus) by Mark Rosenstein)

[bestanimal]

Round 3 - Actinopterygii - Acanthuriformes

(Sources - 1, 2, 3, 4)

Order: Acanthuriformes

Common Name: no common name for the collective order

Families: 28 - Gerreidae (“mojarras”), Sillaginidae (“smelt-whitings”), Moronidae (“temperate basses”), Drepaneidae (“sicklefishes”), Ephippidae (“spadefishes” and “batfishes”), Sciaenidae (“croakers” and “drums”), Dinopercidae (“cavebasses”), Haemulidae (“grunts”), Lobotidae (“tripletails” and “tigerperches”), Monodactylidae (“moonies”), Emmelichthyidae (“redbaits”), Lutjanidae (“snappers”), Malacanthidae (“tilefishes”), Latilidae (“deepwater tilefishes”), Pomacanthidae (“marine angelfishes”), Chaetodontidae (“butterflyfishes”), Leiognathidae (“ponyfishes”), Luvaridae (“Louvar”), Zanclidae (“Moorish Idol”), Acanthuridae (“surgeonfishes”, “tangs”, and “unicornfishes”), Callanthiidae (“splendid perches”), Nemipteridae (“threadfin breams”), Lethrinidae (“emperor breams”), Sparidae (“seabreams” and “porgies”), Siganidae (“rabbitfishes”), Scatophagidae (“scats”), Caproidae (“boarfishes”), and Antigoniinae (“deepwater boarfishes”)

Anatomy: anatomy varies between families

Diet: zooplankton, detritus, algae, cyanobacteria, worms, crustaceans, mollusks, smaller fish, echinoderms, sponges, tunicates, corals, anemones, jellyfish

Habitat: saltwater worldwide, some brackish and freshwater species

Evolved in: Late Paleocene

Do you have a favorite in Acanthuriformes?

One or more of my favorite animals is in Acanthuriformes

I love at least one or more of these animals

I like at least one or more of these animals

I am neutral about all of these animals

I dislike all of these animals

Voting ended onAug 9, 2025

Propaganda under the cut:

This order contains many of the most iconic and colorful tropical reef fish, as well as the Tumblr favorite Bogue (Boops boops).

The European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is considered the most important farmed fish in the Mediterranean, and it was one of Europe's first fish to be farmed commercially. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the most popular restaurant fish sold and consumed as “sea bass” is exclusively the European Seabass. In North America, it is widely known by one of its Italian names, Branzino.

The Longfin Batfish (Platax pinnatus) plays a critical role in the food web on the Great Barrier Reef, consuming algal growth on coral that other species of fish do not touch.

The “drums” and “croakers” of the family Sciaenidae are so named because of the sounds they make, the pitch and use of which varies species to species. To produce the croaking sound, special muscles vibrate against the swim bladder. These muscles are called sonic muscle fibres, and run horizontally along the fish's body on both sides around the swim bladder, connected to a central tendon that surrounds the swim bladder ventrally. These sonic muscle fibres are repeatedly contracted against the swim bladder to produce the croaking sound that gives the family their common names, effectively using the swim bladder as a resonating chamber. The sciaenids' large swim bladder is more expansive and branched than other species, which aids in the croaking. In some species the sonic muscle fibres are only present in males, aiding in attracting females during mating season. These muscles strengthen during the mating season and are allowed to atrophy the rest of the time, deactivating the croaking mechanism.

[dysfunctionalphotography]

Two-line Monocle Bream, Exmouth WA

Insanely common on the reefs here, they were basically everywhere.

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

Blue tang!

Have you seen the Indo-Pacific blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)?

I have now

Yes, in photos/videos

Yes, irl

I'm not sure

Voting ended onJul 17, 2025

[snototter]

A saddled butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium) in Bunaken Marine Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia

by François Libert

[every-day-creechur]

Scribbled Unicornfish Naso maculatus

Found in the western Pacific Ocean, including off the coasts of Hawai'i, Japan, and New Caledonia. Despite being a member of the unicornfish, it has no protuberance from its face.