Ocean surgeon - Acanthurus bahianus

Species name: Acanthurus bahianus

Synonyms: Acanthurus chirurgus, Teuthis coeruleus, Acanthurus bahianus, Teuthis bahianus, Hepatus bahianus, Teuthis tractus, Acanthurus tractus, Acronurus nigriculus

Common Names: Ocean surgeon

Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)

Order: Perciforms (Perch-likes)

Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)

Max.Size: 38.1 cm / 15 inches

Environment: Marine reef

Origin: Northwest, Western Central, Southwest, and Southeast Atlantic

Temperament: Relatively agressive

Company: Acanthurus bahianus (Ocean surgeon) should not be kept with similar species, groupers and lionfishes.

Aquarium Setup: Acanthurus bahianus (Ocean surgeon) have a scraping and sorting lifestyle, and in the wild they are searching for tiny amounts of food all the time. This should be considered when you plan the setup. Ocean surgeon need a lot of space to search around in, e.g. adult a requires at least 50 gallons per individual. They also need strong water movement and vigorous aeration. They will do best if their environment is kept quite constant without any big changes. Buffer the ph and keep it between 8.0 and 8.4. The optimal temperatures are the seventies to low eighties F. Organic levels should be low or even better zero. No nitrite and no ammonia, and try to keep the nitrate below 25 ppm.

Food: Acanthurus bahianus (Ocean surgeon) eat plants and algae, and need to be feeded often, preferably tiny amounts spread out over the whole day. An automatic feed can be a good investment. Fill it with a mix of dry-prepared food and set to maximum number of feedings. So called “algae rocks” are also good.

Breeding: No informations available regarding spawning of Acanthurus bahianus (Ocean surgeon) in aquariums.