Eyestripe Surgeonfish

Acanthurus dussumieri

The bluebanded surgeonfish (Acanthurus dussumieri), also known as the eyestripe surgeonfish, is a large surgeonfish reaching about 54 cm, found across the Indo-Pacific from East Africa and the Red Sea to Hawaii and the Tuamotu Islands. Its body is brown to olive-gray covered with fine longitudinal blue lines and dots, with a distinctive yellow bar behind the eye and a bright yellow patch surrounding the sharp retractable tail spine. The tail is lunate with a blue-white margin. This species is primarily herbivorous, grazing on algae and detritus from sandy and rubble areas of reef flats and lagoons, often in small groups. It tends to prefer sandy zones adjacent to coral reef areas rather than the reef itself, making it a common sight on reef flats and in shallow lagoon environments. Found from 1 to 131 meters, though most commonly in shallow water less than 20 meters. The bluebanded surgeonfish is a steady, approachable species that can be observed closely by patient divers, especially in areas where it is habituated to human presence.