Описание
Acanthurus lineatus, commonly known as the lined surgeonfish or clown tang, is a tropical marine fish from the family Acanthuridae.
Physical Description and Size
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Body Shape: Deep and compressed, oval-shaped body.
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Coloration: Upper body features bright blue and yellow horizontal stripes edged in black, with yellow stripes on top of the head. The lower fourth (belly) is pale lavender, bluish-white, or grayish.
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Fins: Pectoral fins have darkened or yellow rays; pelvic fins are yellow-brown with black margins; other fins are dark with bluish striae.
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Caudal Spine: Like other surgeonfish, it has a sharp, scalpel-like spine on each side of the tail base, but unlike most species, this caudal spine is venomous and can inflict painful wounds.
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Size: Maximum total length is 38 cm (approx. 15 inches), with a common length of 25 cm.
Habitat and Distribution
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Range: Found across the tropical Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Mascarene Islands to the Hawaiian, Marquesas, and Tuamotu islands, and from southern Japan down to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia (replaced by Acanthurus sohal in the Red Sea).
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Depth Range: Usually found in shallow marine waters and reef flats from 0 to 15 meters (most commonly 1–3 meters), often in areas exposed to strong swells and rich algae.
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Water Temperature: Favors warm tropical waters between 24°C and 30°C.
Biology and Behavior
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Diet: Primarily herbivorous (feeding on benthic algae), though they also consume small crustaceans and invertebrates.
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Social Structure: Diurnal (active during the day), territorial fish where large males often control feeding territories and harems of multiple females.
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Lifespan: Can live up to 46 years
