In November, young striated surgeonfish circle Tetiaroa’s coral heads, keeping the coral between themselves and a hunter.
- Local names
- Maito
- Where it occurs
- The November observation of juveniles sheltering around coral heads is specific to Tetiaroa.
- Habitat
- Lagoon and reef
About this species
A dark body threaded with narrow blue lines identifies this surgeonfish. Most individuals encountered are around 18 cm, with a reported maximum of about 24 cm. It lives in tropical Indo-Pacific waters, except Hawaii, the Marquesas and Easter Island.
It occurs both in the lagoon and on the outer reef slope, feeding mainly on algae and small invertebrates. Large groups form during the breeding season. At Tetiaroa in November, juveniles have been observed circling coral heads to evade groupers and bluefin trevallies.
P. Bacchet, T. Zysman, Y. Lefèvre, 2010. Guide des poissons de Tahiti et ses îles. Au vent des îles. 3e édition.
