Care: 
Beginner
Diet: 
Algivorous
Light: 
Medium
Place of origin: 
Western Indian Ocean
AKA: 
Aspisurus elegans
Widespread Indian Ocean and Red Sed, ranging to Bali, Indonesia. Occurs on coastal and sheltered reef flats in small groups and schools in oceanic locations such as the Maldives or Christmas Island. Identified by its orange peduncular spines and distinguished from its Pacific cousin by its yellow dorsal fin, and dusky to black ventral and anal fins. The two species were found together in Bali where Naso. lituratus greatly out-numbers and dominates N.elegans. Length to 45cm
The common name "surgeonfish" is derived from a characteristic that clearly distinguishes Acanthuridae from other fish families: the spines or "scalpels" on the caudal peduncle, one or more on each side. Based primarily on differences in this characteristic, the family can be divided into three subfamilies: The Acanthurinae, in which the peduncular spine  rests in a groove and can be erected in defence during the fights, the Nasinae and Prionurinae in which the peduncular feature is arranged as one or more fixed blades on each side, that are sharp and elongate with age.