Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Acanthurus xanthopterus
cirujano aleta amarilla, pez cirugano púrpura., navajón lancero, pez cirugano púrpura, Purple surgeonfish, yellowfin surgeonfish
Light blue to dark purple. Narrow, light blue to yellow stripe along base of dorsal and anal fins: thin, light stripes on dorsal, anal and tail fins: often whitish blotch on base of tail. Retractile spine at base of tail. Length: 61 TL
Habitat: Lagoons and seaward reefs up to a depth of 90 m
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Order
Acanthuriformes
Suborder
Acanthuroidei
Family
Acanthuridae
Genus
Acanthurus
Species
xanthopterus
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Acanthurus crestonis (Jordan & Starks, 1895), Acanthurus rasi Valenciennes, 1835, Acanthurus reticulatus Shen & Lim, 1973, Hepatus aquilinus Jordan & Seale, 1906, Hepatus guntheri (Jenkins, 1903) (misspelling), Hepatus crestonis (Jordan & Starks, 1895), Hepatus xanthopterus (Valenciennes, 1835), Teuthis crestonis Jordan & Starks, 1895, Teuthis guentheri Bamber, 1915, Teuthis guentheri Jenkins, 1903, Teuthis güntheri Jenkins, 1903 (misspelling) , Teuthis xanthopterus (Valenciennes, 1835), fide Appeltans et al. (2010)
Origin: Native
Distribution: Indo-Pacific; Haiwai, mainland of Costa Rica, Cocos and Ecuador in Galápagos.Indo-Pacific only, mouth of the Gulf of California to Ecuador, all oceanic islands of Eastern Pacific except Revillagigedos.
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
- Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
- Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
- Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
- IUCN (2023) The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-2 Https://www.iucnredlist.org
- McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Acanthurus xanthopterus", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7678. Accessed 31 October 2026.