razor surgeonfish
Prionurus laticlavius
Herbivorous surgeonfish of shallow eastern Pacific waters, which forms large schools over rocks and corals. It is little caught on rod, but it is sold for aquariums and appears in reef catches.
Also called: cirurgião-navalha, cirujano barbero, razor surgeonfish
- maximum
- 60 cm
- depth
- 3–25 m
who is the razor surgeonfish
Fish of the surgeonfish family (Acanthuridae), with a flattened, disk-shaped body, reaching 60 cm. It lives in shallow waters of the eastern Pacific, from Costa Rica to Colombia, passing through Panama, with records also in Ecuador and Peru, and at the Cocos and Galápagos islands. It is found mostly between 3 and 25 m, in rocky areas. It is herbivorous: it feeds in groups on algae that grow on rocks and corals. It forms large schools. In fishing it appears mainly as reef bycatch, and it is sold for aquariums.
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 razor surgeonfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Flattened, disk-shaped body, with small scales, like the other surgeonfish. Instead of a movable spine, the genus Prionurus has fixed, sharp bony plates on the tail stalk. It forms large schools in shallow, rocky waters, which helps identify it when there are many fish together. It lives in a wider depth range, from 3 to 25 m, than the sawtail surgeonfish, which is usually found between 6 and 12 m.
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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
In the eastern Pacific, from Costa Rica to Colombia, passing through Panama, with records also in Ecuador and Peru, including the Cocos and Galápagos islands.
Habitat: Shallow waters, reefs and rocky bottoms, generally from 3 to 25 m.
rules for the razor surgeonfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
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.
Not venomous, but the sharp bony plates on the tail stalk can cut the hand of anyone handling it. Hold it carefully, away from that area, and release it quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01995, b = 3.01; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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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: Prionurus laticlavius (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Prionurus laticlaviusNames by country and language.
