Pacific orange-spine unicornfish

Description

Naso lituratus is a species of fish in the family Acanthuridae, the tangs and unicornfishes. Its common names include barcheek unicornfish, naso tang, and orange-spine unicornfish. Unique to members of Acanthuridae, including Naso lituratus, are the Epulopiscium bacteria. These bacteria influence the digestion of Naso lituratus, helping them process the algae in their diet. The Naso lituratus species can be found in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. This species can be easily recognised by two bright orange forward-hooked spines on the caudal peduncle (the tail base), its orange lips and black face mask. The body is brownish grey with yellow nape and there is a broad black band on the dorsal fin. It reaches about 45 cm in length. It can be found on coral reefs, often in pairs. Naso is a genus of fish in the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae. Fish of this genus are known commonly as unicornfishes because of the "rostral protuberance", a hornlike extension of the forehead present in some species. Unicorn fish are popular with spearfishermen and may be cooked by grilling them whole. Unicornfish primarily live around coral reefs and eat mostly algae as well as roshi (flour) in Maldives. It is very popular in Maldives. This genus is distributed across the Indo-Pacific from Africa to Hawaii.