yellowtail surgeonfish
Prionurus punctatus
Herbivorous surgeonfish of shallow reefs in the Pacific Americas, which swims in schools and scrapes algae off rocks. It is hardly ever caught on rod, but it appears in reef catches.
Also called: cirurgião-porquinho, cirujano cochinito, yellowtail surgeonfish
- maximum
- 60 cm
- depth
- 6–12 m
who is the yellowtail surgeonfish
Fish of the surgeonfish family (Acanthuridae), with a flattened, disk-shaped body, reaching 60 cm. It lives on shallow reefs and rocky areas of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to El Salvador, passing through Guatemala, including the Revillagigedo Islands, with a record also in Ecuador. It is mostly found between 6 and 12 m, in schools, and feeds on algae that grow on the rocks. It is not venomous. In fishing it is of little importance, but 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 yellowtail surgeonfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Flattened, disk-shaped body, with small scales, like the other surgeonfish. It has a yellow tail, which gave it one of its common names. Instead of a movable spine, the genus Prionurus has fixed, sharp bony plates on the tail stalk. It usually appears in schools over shallow reefs and feeds on algae. It lives in a narrower depth range, from 6 to 12 m, than the razor surgeonfish, which ranges from 3 to 25 m.
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
In the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California (Mexico) to El Salvador, passing through Guatemala and the Revillagigedo Islands, with a record also in Ecuador.
Habitat: Shallow reefs and rocky areas, usually between 6 and 12 m.
rules for the yellowtail 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
—
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 punctatus (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 punctatusNames by country and language.
