The bluespine unicornfish (Naso unicornis), also known as the short-nose unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the familyAcanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific.[3] It is occasionally found in the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 70 cm in length. It is called kala ('thorn') in Hawaii,[3]dawa in New Caledonia, and ta or tā in Fiji.[4]
Naso unicornis from New CaledoniaA pair of bluespine unicornfish (Naso unicornis) found in shallow water coral reef area of Green Island, a coral reef ecosystem reserve in Taiwan
The bluespine unicornfish has a blueish-gray body with two blue spines on each side at the base of the tail and a short rostrum or bony horn on the forehead.[3][8] In small fish the horn is missing and males additionally have tail streamers.[3] These fish have a leather-like skin instead of scales. The bluespine unicornfish can grow up to 70 cm (28 in) with the largest one caught to be 5.8 kg (13 lb).[9][10][3]
Distributionedit
The bluespine unicornfish is very common in the tropical Indo-Pacific region usually occurring at temperatures between 25 and 29 °C (77 and 84 °F).[10]
Habitatedit
The bluespine unicornfish are a near shore fish. The juvenile tend to stay close to shore while the adults tend to live from shallow to the beginnings of the deep water staying within the upper 40 feet.[10] They tend to enjoy spots with waves or strong surges.[11] The bluespine unicornfish live often solitary on coral reefs or can be found in small schools of unicorn fish or as a part of larger schools with many other fish species.[3][10]
Dietedit
Bluespine unicornfish are herbivores and feed on brown and red algae with coarse or leafy blades.[11][10]
Human use and cultural significanceedit
Bluespine unicornfish are eaten in abundance due to how common they are. They have a strong flavor and odor due to their diet. When skinned, the meat is white with a slight pink-red taint and a firm or moist texture. Bluespine unicornfish are usually eaten raw, boiled, grilled, baked or sauteed.[12]
The bluespine unicornfish or the Kala was an important food source in old Hawaii.[12] The tough skin of kala was sometimes stretched over a half coconut shell to make a small knee drum.[3] The Hawaiians also used Kala in ceremonies between members of a tribe or between tribes.[12] Today kala is still a common food source to the people of Hawaii and other Pacific Islands.
Referencesedit
^Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; Choat, J.H.; et al. (2012). "Naso unicornis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T177970A1506556. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T177970A1506556.en.
^ abcdefgHoover, John P. (2008). The ultimate guide to Hawaiian reef fishes sea turtles, dolphins, whales, and seals. John P. Hoover. Honolulu: Mutual Pub. ISBN978-1-56647-887-8. OCLC 243960518.
^Blust, Robert; Trussel, Stephen (2010). "*taRaq₂ unicorn fish: Acanthurus unicornis". Austronesian Comparative Dictionary. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
^Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer & Ronald Fricke (2014). "Family-group names of recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 1–230. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1. PMID 25543675.
^J. S. Nelson; T. C. Grande; M. V. H. Wilson (2016). (5th ed.). Wiley. pp. 497–502. ISBN978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
^Bray, D.J. (2019). "Naso unicornis in Fishes of Australia". from the original on 2017-05-01.
bluespine, unicornfish, bluespine, unicornfish, naso, unicornis, also, known, short, nose, unicornfish, species, marine, finned, fish, belonging, family, acanthuridae, surgeonfishes, unicornfishes, tangs, this, species, found, indo, pacific, occasionally, foun. The bluespine unicornfish Naso unicornis also known as the short nose unicornfish is a species of marine ray finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae the surgeonfishes unicornfishes and tangs This species is found in the Indo Pacific 3 It is occasionally found in the aquarium trade It grows to a size of 70 cm in length It is called kala thorn in Hawaii 3 dawa in New Caledonia and ta or ta in Fiji 4 Bluespine unicornfishConservation statusLeast Concern IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ActinopterygiiOrder AcanthuriformesFamily AcanthuridaeGenus NasoSubgenus NasoSpecies N unicornisBinomial nameNaso unicornis Forsskal 1775 Synonyms 2 Chaetodon unicornis Forsskal 1775Acanthurus unicornis Forsskal 1775 Monoceros biaculeatus Bloch amp Schneider 1801Monoceros rain Bloch amp Schneider 1801Naso fronticornis Lacepede 1801Harpurus monoceros Forster in Lichtenstein 1844Acronurus corniger Gronow in Gray 1854Naso unicornis from New CaledoniaA pair of bluespine unicornfish Naso unicornis found in shallow water coral reef area of Green Island a coral reef ecosystem reserve in Taiwan Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Description 3 Distribution 4 Habitat 5 Diet 6 Human use and cultural significance 7 References 8 External linksTaxonomy editThe bluespine unicornfish was first formally described as Chaetodon unicornis by the Swedish speaking Finnish explorer orientalist naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus Peter Forsskal with its type locality given as Jeddah 2 In 1801 the French zoologist Bernard Germain de Lacepede described a new species Naso fronticornis as a replacement name for Chaetodon unicornis which in 1917 David Starr Jordan designated as the type species of the genus Naso which had first been proposed as a genus by Lacepede when he described N fronticornis 5 Naso is the only genus in the monogeneric subfamily Nasinae proposed by Henry Weed Fowler and Barton Appler Bean in 1929 6 within the family Acanthuridae 7 Description editThe bluespine unicornfish has a blueish gray body with two blue spines on each side at the base of the tail and a short rostrum or bony horn on the forehead 3 8 In small fish the horn is missing and males additionally have tail streamers 3 These fish have a leather like skin instead of scales The bluespine unicornfish can grow up to 70 cm 28 in with the largest one caught to be 5 8 kg 13 lb 9 10 3 Distribution editThe bluespine unicornfish is very common in the tropical Indo Pacific region usually occurring at temperatures between 25 and 29 C 77 and 84 F 10 Habitat editThe bluespine unicornfish are a near shore fish The juvenile tend to stay close to shore while the adults tend to live from shallow to the beginnings of the deep water staying within the upper 40 feet 10 They tend to enjoy spots with waves or strong surges 11 The bluespine unicornfish live often solitary on coral reefs or can be found in small schools of unicorn fish or as a part of larger schools with many other fish species 3 10 Diet editBluespine unicornfish are herbivores and feed on brown and red algae with coarse or leafy blades 11 10 Human use and cultural significance editBluespine unicornfish are eaten in abundance due to how common they are They have a strong flavor and odor due to their diet When skinned the meat is white with a slight pink red taint and a firm or moist texture Bluespine unicornfish are usually eaten raw boiled grilled baked or sauteed 12 The bluespine unicornfish or the Kala was an important food source in old Hawaii 12 The tough skin of kala was sometimes stretched over a half coconut shell to make a small knee drum 3 The Hawaiians also used Kala in ceremonies between members of a tribe or between tribes 12 Today kala is still a common food source to the people of Hawaii and other Pacific Islands References edit Abesamis R Clements K D Choat J H et al 2012 Naso unicornis IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012 e T177970A1506556 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2012 RLTS T177970A1506556 en a b Eschmeyer William N Fricke Ron amp van der Laan Richard eds Species in the genus Naso Catalog of Fishes California Academy of Sciences Retrieved 25 July 2023 a b c d e f g Hoover John P 2008 The ultimate guide to Hawaiian reef fishes sea turtles dolphins whales and seals John P Hoover Honolulu Mutual Pub ISBN 978 1 56647 887 8 OCLC 243960518 Blust Robert Trussel Stephen 2010 taRaq unicorn fish Acanthurus unicornis Austronesian Comparative Dictionary Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Retrieved 8 November 2022 Eschmeyer William N Fricke Ron amp van der Laan Richard eds Genera in the family Acanthuridae Catalog of Fishes California Academy of Sciences Retrieved 29 July 2023 Richard van der Laan William N Eschmeyer amp Ronald Fricke 2014 Family group names of recent fishes Zootaxa 3882 2 1 230 doi 10 11646 zootaxa 3882 1 1 PMID 25543675 J S Nelson T C Grande M V H Wilson 2016 Fishes of the World 5th ed Wiley pp 497 502 ISBN 978 1 118 34233 6 Archived from the original on 2019 04 08 Retrieved 2023 07 29 Bray D J 2019 Naso unicornis in Fishes of Australia Archived from the original on 2017 05 01 Animal World Bluespine Unicornfish Animal World Retrieved 2021 12 15 a b c d e Bluespine Unicornfish Georgia Aquarium Retrieved 2021 12 15 a b Unicornfish thisfish info Retrieved 2021 12 15 a b c Titcomb Margaret 1972 11 01 Native Use of Fish in Hawaii University of Hawaii Press ISBN 978 0 8248 0592 0 Froese Rainer Pauly Daniel eds 2008 Naso unicornis in FishBase December 2008 version External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Naso unicornis Photos of Bluespine unicornfish on Sealife Collection nbsp This family Acanthuridae article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bluespine unicornfish amp oldid 1195256975, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
