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🌊 Marine Least Concern ⚠️ Venomous ⚡ Venomous 🌡️ Tropical

Orangespine unicornfish

Naso lituratus Forster, 1801
Naso Lituratus (Naso lituratus)
Naso Lituratus (Naso lituratus)
Max Length
46 cm
Max Weight
2.3 kg
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
2.3
Depth
0–90 m
Climate
Tropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
34.00/100
Typical Length
-
Depth Zone
reef

📖 Overview

Found in areas of coral, rock, or rubble of lagoon and seaward reefs, Ref. 48637. Benthopelagic . Adults usually in small groups. Juveniles in shallow rocky reefs, sometimes in small aggregations mixed with other acanthurids of similar size . Feed mainly on leafy brown algae (Sargassum and Dictyota). Sometimes in large aggregations . Very seldom poisonous . Pair-spawning has been observed.

Scientific Name
Naso lituratus
Authority
Forster, 1801
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Tropical
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
46 cm
Max Weight
2.3 kg
Depth Range
0–90 m
Latitude
30°S – 35°N
Trophic Level
2.3
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
34.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 26 - 29; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 27 - 30. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VI (rarely V or VII),26-29(modally 27); A II,27-30 (rarely 27 or 30); pectoral rays usually 17; body depths of adults 2.6-3.0 in SL; head dorsal profile sloping and smoothly convex (forehead no horn nor protuberances); two large peduncular plates, the keels with forward-projecting points in adults; caudal fin emaginate in young and truncate in adults; body brown to bluish gray, ventral half yellowish gray to yellow, the demarcation along middle of side often abrupt and irregular; edge of opercle and preopercle usually with a dark brown band; margin of lower lip broadly white with upper surface of tongue black in adults; gill rakers are blackish basally; blue caudal fin with a broad, brownish yellow, posterior border which narrows toward corners of fin; it is capable of changing overall into light grayish blue, as when at a cleaning station; when in courtship the males quickly display a broad, bluish white zone on the nape and anterior part of the body , followed by narrow bars of the same color that extend onto lower side . : short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Orangespine unicornfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Orangespine unicornfish is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

Probably spawn in pairs .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 90 m , usually 5 - 30 m . Tropical; 35°N - 30°S, 105°E - 130°W East Indian Ocean from Christmas Pacific Ocean: Honshu, Japan south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia and east to the Hawaiian Islands, French Polynesia, and Pitcairn.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🪸 Reef Associated
Trophic Level
2.3±0.19
Food Items

leafy brown algae (Sargassum and Dictyota)

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.02818 × L2.96 (TL)
Max TL
46cm
Max Weight
2,300g
Dorsal Spines
6
Dorsal Rays
28
Anal Spines
2
Anal Rays
29

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2010

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
34.00/100
Low vulnerability
Trophic Level
2.3
Omnivore / Planktivore
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
Climate Zone
Tropical
Latitude Range
35°N – 30°S
Described By
Forster, 1801

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Barcheek Unicornfish · Black-finned Unicornfish · Clown Surgeonfish · Clown Tang · Clown Unicornfish · Lipstick Surgeonfish · Masked Unicornfish · Naso trang · Orange Spine Surgeonfish · Orange-spine Unicorn · Orange-spine Unicornfish · Orangespine unicornfish · Pacific Orange-spine Unicornfish · Pacific Orangespine Unicornfish · Pacific orange-spine Unicorn · Poll Unicornfish · Redlip Surgeonfish · Smooth-head Unicornfish · Smooth-headed Unicornfish · Stripe-face Unicornfish · Stripe-faced Unicorn Fish · Stripe-faced Unicorn-fish · Striped Unicornfish · Striped-faced Unicornfish · striped-face unicornfish
🇸🇦Arabic Rahu · الناسو
🏳️Catalan Peix unicorn d'espina taronja del Pacífic
🌍CES bodlok bezrohý
🇩🇰Danish Maskeret Næsehornsfisk
🇩🇪German Gelbklingen-Nasendoktorfisch · Nashornfisch · Ungehörnter Hornbader
🌍DIV Ammas · Ran geri
🌍FIJ Damasi ni tubalevu · Jivijivi ni nausori · Lewa ni tataga · Nuqa ta · Sila · Ta · Ta nuqa · Ta vusaroi · Tivitvi ni ta · Umarei
🇫🇮Finnish Silosarvikala
🇫🇷French Nason à Eperons Oranges · Nason à éperons orange · Nason à éperons orange du Pacifique
🇭🇺Hungarian rúzsos doktorhal
🇮🇹Italian Pesce Federica orientale · Pesce unicorno arancione orientale · Pesce unicorno elegante orientale · Pesce unicorno spine arancioni orientale
🇯🇵Japanese Miyako tengu hagi · Miyako-tenguhagi · Miyakotenguhagi · ミヤコテングハギ
🇰🇷Korean 제주표문쥐치
🌍LIT Geltondyglė raganosė
🌍MAL കണ്കെട്ടിയന് · കന്കിട്ടിയര് · കറുക്കന് · കറൂക്കന്
🌍MSA Barat-barat · Debam-taji jingga
🇳🇱Dutch Koekopvis
🇵🇱Polish Rożec skrobacz
🇵🇹Portuguese Peixe-unicórnio-de-espinho-laranja
🇷🇺Russian Оранжевошипый носач
🇪🇸Spanish Barbero de Aguijón Naranja · Pez Unicornio de Espina Naranja
🌍TAH ume tarei
🌍TGL Indangan · Isdang ilong · Labahita · Silba · Tudluan · Yapot
🌍THA ปลายูนิคอร์นหัวเรียบ
🇨🇳Chinese 黑背鼻魚

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 27 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

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