doctorfish
Acanthurus chirurgus
Shallow reef fish with a sharp spine on each side of the tail. It shows up now and then on the line and needs careful handling.
Also called: barbeiro, acaraúna, acaraúna-preta, cirujano, doctorfish
- maximum
- 39 cm
- record/max.
- 5.1 kg
- depth
- 2–15 m
who is the doctorfish
Surgeonfish of the family Acanthuridae, up to 39 cm and 5.1 kg. It lives on shallow reefs and rocky areas, usually between 2 and 15 m, in loose aggregations. It is mainly diurnal and scrapes algae off the bottom, swallowing sand with it. Its larvae are planktonic. Juveniles, at Fernando de Noronha, form cleaning stations with other fish and remove skin and parasites from green sea turtles. In fishing, it sometimes shows up on the line and has small commercial use, besides the aquarium trade.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the doctorfish.
fun facts
- Juveniles form cleaning stations at Fernando de Noronha, where they remove skin and parasites from green sea turtles.
identification
Short, deep gray body with ten narrow, dark gray vertical bands, well spaced on the flanks. The caudal fin is slightly notched. On each side of the caudal peduncle is a sharp spine that can cause painful wounds. Its short, deep body and dark bands help identify it on reefs.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
It occurs in the western Atlantic, from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean to São Paulo, and also in the eastern Atlantic, from Senegal to Ascension Island. In Latin America it lives on reefs and rocky areas of Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, the Guianas and Brazil.
Habitat: Shallow reefs and rocky bottoms, usually 2 to 15 m deep.
coast
when to fish
best time of day
Daytime. It is mainly diurnal.
rules for the doctorfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Be careful with the sharp spine on each side of the caudal peduncle, which can cause painful wounds. Hold the fish by the body, away from the tail, when removing the hook.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02188, b = 2.96; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Acanthurus chirurgus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Acanthurus chirurgusNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.