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Fish profile · Acanthuridae
Palette surgeonfish
Paracanthurus hepatus
An Indo-Pacific reef surgeonfish with a blue body, black palette-shaped marking and yellow tail. It is an active marine aquarium fish that needs ample swimming space; its tail-base spines can injure handlers.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026 · 4 sources
- Max length
- 30.5 cm
- IUCN
- LC
- Least Concern
- Family
- Acanthuridae
- order Perciformes
Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.
How big?
Linear scale · hand 18 cm
Up to 30.5 cm.
How to identify
- Blue sides with a black marking shaped like a painter's palette.
- Yellow tail edged with black and a defensive spine at each side of its base.
- Oval body is strongly flattened from side to side.
Habitat
Coral reefs, with rock and coral shelter.
- Diet
- Provide marine algae and seaweed along with a varied aquarium diet.
- Native range
- Indo-Pacific reefs.
Aquarium care
- Minimum tank
- 682 L
- Temperature
- 22.2–25.6°C
- pH
- 8.1–8.4
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
More photos
Sources
Last reviewed 13 October 2026