Name: Spotted unicornfish, brown unicornfish, shortnose unicornfish
Scientific Name: Naso brevirostris (Valenciennes, 1835)
Family: Acanthuridae
Group: Bony fish
Class: Fish
Size: 26-50 cm.
The spotted unicornfish owes its name to the extension similar to a horn, which appears on the face of adults. Other particularities of this fish are the two sharp spines, which it has on each side of its body, next to the caudal fin. These are used to defend itself when it feels threatened and can inflict deep and painful injuries, even when it is caught and already out of the water. It lives in tropical waters of lagoons and reefs at depths up to 45 m. Here, the juveniles feed on algae close to the bottom, while the adults feed only on zooplankton.
Photo by:
Abílio Leitão
Tropical Indian
