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Naso (genus)
Encyclopedia
The unicorn fishes are 17 species of tropical, herbivorous marine surgeonfishes in the genus Naso. They are so named because of a spike that protrudes from the forehead. Some species have a bulbous protrusion rather than a pronounced spike, and some lack a spike altogether. Unicorn fishes usually have a pair of spines on each side of the tail shaft that are used for defense.
Species
- Whitemargin unicornfishWhitemargin unicornfishThe whitemargin unicornfish is a tropical fish found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It can reach a length of 100 cm making it one of the largest members of the family Acanthuridae.-Description:...
, Naso annulatus (QuoyJean René Constant QuoyJean René Constant Quoy was a French zoologist.Along with Joseph Paul Gaimard he served as naturalist aboard La Coquille under Louis Isidore Duperrey during its circumnavigation of the globe , and the Astrolabe under the command of Jules Dumont d'Urville...
& GaimardJoseph Paul GaimardJoseph Paul Gaimard was a French naval surgeon and naturalist.Along with Jean René Constant Quoy he served as naturalist on the ships L'Uranie under Louis de Freycinet 1817-1820, and L'Astrolabe under Jules Dumont d'Urville 1826-1829...
, 1825). - Humpback unicornfishHumpback unicornfishThe humpback unicornfish is a species of Unicornfish commonly found in tropical reefs, so named because of its distinctive humped back. The habitat of the Humpback unicornfish includes most of the coastline of the Indonesian islands and some areas off the coast of Africa....
, Naso brachycentron (ValenciennesAchille ValenciennesAchille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...
, 1835). - Spotted unicornfishSpotted unicornfishThe spotted unicornfish is a type of Unicornfish in the family Acanthuridae found in the Indian and Pacific oceans.. Another species, Naso maculatus also may be called the spotted unicornfish....
, Naso brevirostris (CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
, 1829). - Naso caeruleacaudaNaso caeruleacaudaNaso caeruleacauda is a tropical fish found in coral reefs around Indonesia and the Philippines. It was first named by J.E. Randall in 1994, and is known commonly as the Blue unicorn....
Randall, 1994. - Gray unicornfish, Naso caesiusNaso caesiusNaso caesius is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the Pacific Ocean. It was first named by J.E. Randall and L.J. Bell in 1992, and is known commonly as the gray unicornfish....
Randall & Bell, 1992. - Elegant unicornfish, Naso elegansNaso elegansNaso elegans is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. It was first named by Eduard Rüppell in 1829, and is commonly known as the Elegant unicornfish, Indian orange-spine unicorn, Orange-spine unicorn, and Smoothheaded unicornfish. It is commercial in fisheries....
(RüppellEduard RüppellWilhelm Peter Eduard Simon Rüppell was a German naturalist and explorer. Rüppell is occasionally transliterated to "Rueppell" for the English alphabet....
, 1829). - Horseface unicornfish, Naso fageniNaso fageniNaso fageni is a tropical fish found in the west Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was first named by Morrow in 1954, and is known commonly as the Horseface unicornfish or the Horseface unicorn. It is commercial in fisheries....
Morrow, 1954. - Sleek unicornfish, Naso hexacanthusNaso hexacanthusNaso hexacanthus is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was first named by Pieter Bleeker in 1855, and is commonly known as the Sleek unicornfish, Sleek unicorn, Blacktongue unicorn, Blacktounge unicornfish, Thorpe's unicornfish, or the Nohorn unicorn...
(BleekerPieter BleekerPieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....
, 1855). - Orangespine unicornfish, Naso lituratusNaso lituratusNaso lituratus or the Orangespine unicornfish or Naso tang is a tang from the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 46 cm in length....
(ForsterJohann Reinhold ForsterJohann Reinhold Forster was a German Lutheran pastor and naturalist of partial Scottish descent who made contributions to the early ornithology of Europe and North America...
, 1801). - Elongate unicornfish, Naso lopeziNaso LopeziNaso lopezi is a Tang from the Western Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 60 cm in length....
Herre, 1927. - Spotted unicornfish, Naso maculatusNaso maculatusNaso maculatus is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the Pacific ocean. It was first named by Randall and Struhsaker in 1981, and is commonly known as the spotted unicornfish,but this name may also refer to Naso brevirostris. It has a maximum length of 60 cm....
Randall & Struhsaker, 1981. - Squarenose unicornfish, Naso mcdadeiNaso mcdadeiNaso mcdadei is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was first named by Jeffrey W. Johnson in 2002 and is commonly known as the Squarenose unicornfish....
Johnson, 2002. - Slender unicorn, Naso minorNaso minorNaso minor is a tropical fish found in coral reefs around Mozambique and the Philippines. It was first named by Smith in 1966 and is commonly known as the Slender unicorn, Blackspine unicornfish, or the Little unicorn....
(Smith, 1966). - Naso reticulatusNaso reticulatusNaso reticulatus is a temperate fish found in coral reefs around Taiwan and Indonesia. It was first named by John E. Randall in 2001....
Randall, 2001. - Oneknife unicornfish, Naso thynnoidesNaso thynnoidesNaso thynnoides is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was first named by Georges Cuvier in 1829, and is commonly known as the Oneknife unicornfish, Oneknife unicorn, Thunny unicornfish, Singlespine unicornfish, One-spine unicorn, or the Barred unicornfish...
(CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
, 1829). - Bulbnose unicornfish, Naso tonganusNaso tonganusNaso tonganus is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was first named by Achille Valenciennes in 1835, and is commonly known as the Bulbnose unicornfish, Hump-nosed unicornfish, Humphead unicornfish, or the Humpnose unicorn. It is commercial in fisheries....
(ValenciennesAchille ValenciennesAchille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...
, 1835). - Humpnose unicornfish, Naso tuberosusNaso tuberosusNaso tuberosus is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the central Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was first named by Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1801, and is commonly known as the Humpnose unicornfish. It feeds primarily on Caulerpa....
Lacépède, 1801. - Bluespine unicornfishBluespine unicornfishThe bluespine unicornfish or short-nose unicornfish is a tang from the Indo-Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 70 cm in length. It is called kala in Hawaiian, and dawa in New Caledonia....
, Naso unicornis (ForsskålPeter ForsskålPeter Forsskål, sometimes spelled Pehr Forsskål, Peter Forskaol, Petrus Forskål or Pehr Forsskåhl, was a Swedish explorer, orientalist, naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus.-Early life:...
, 1775). - Bignose unicornfish, Naso vlamingiiNaso vlamingiiNaso vlamingii is a tropical fish with common names Vlamingii tang and bignose unicornfish.-Appearance:They are relatively large fish in comparison to other fish in the Acanthuridae family easily reaching 60.0 cm. As a juvenile the fish's coloration is a dingy green with blue spots and lips later...
(ValenciennesAchille ValenciennesAchille Valenciennes was a French zoologist.Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. Valenciennes' study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology...
, 1835).