Prionurus
A genus of surgeonfishes with immobile keeled plates on the tail.
Last updated
Diego Delso · via Wikipedia: Prionurus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Prionurini is a tribe containing only the genus Prionurus, which was first proposed in 1804 by Bernard Germain de Lacépède.[1] There are currently seven recognized species in this genus.[2]
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassActinopterygii
- DivisionTeleostei
- OrderAcanthuriformes
- FamilyAcanthuridae
- GenusPrionurus
Named by Lacépède, 1804
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Prionurus (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Quick Facts
- Type species
- Prionurus microlepidotus
Facts from the source article.
Biology and range
Prionurus species have oval, compressed bodies with a steep angle on the head above the snout.[3] Prionurus have a predominantly Pacific range, with six of the seven species found in the Pacific Ocean.[4] Two species, P. laticlavius and P. punctatus, are endemic to the eastern Pacific.[4] One species, P. biafraensis, is endemic to the Eastern Atlantic.[4]
The dorsal fin contains 8 or 9 spines, and the anal fin contains 3 spines.[3] Unlike the mobile keels found in other surgeonfishes, the spined keels of this genus are immobile.[3]
What the specialist sources record
The Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific account describes the body as oval and compressed, with a steep head profile and eye high on the head.[5] It also states the genus is subtropical and found in the east and west Pacific and the eastern Atlantic.[5] The World Register of Marine Species records the genus as accepted in the family Acanthuridae, order Acanthuriformes, and environment marine and brackish.[6] GBIF holds 12,147 occurrence records for this taxon as of 7 October 2026.[7]
According to that source, the dorsal fin has VIII-IX spines and the anal fin has III spines.[5]
References
- Wikipedia, "Prionurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; ; "Fishes of the World", Wiley, 2016, p. 497–502 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Prionurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Prionurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Genus: Prionurus, Surgeonfishes, Sawtails", Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system; "Fishes of the World", Wiley, 2016, p. 497–502; (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Prionurus" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ; "Genus: Prionurus, Surgeonfishes, Sawtails", Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system; (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Genus: Prionurus, Surgeonfishes, Sawtails", Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. facts only, no text reused. biogeodb.stri.si.edu
- World Register of Marine Species, Prionurus (AphiaID 270505). CC BY 4.0. marinespecies.org
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy and occurrence index, Prionurus (taxon key 2379602). CC BY 4.0 (backbone); counts are facts. gbif.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Prionurus (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Prionurus (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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