Elegant unicornfish

The elegant unicornfish is a large surgeonfish of the family Acanthuridae, found across the Indian Ocean. It has an elongated blue-grey body with fine orange and blue lines, striking blue-margined fins, and paired scalpel-like spines on the tail base; unlike some relatives it lacks a prominent horn. It is an active, generally peaceful but boisterous fish that requires a great deal of open swimming space. It grazes on algae and browses zooplankton in the water column, and can be territorial toward similar species. Because of its adult size it is suited only to very large reef or fish-only systems with strong flow and pristine water. Its diet should emphasize marine algae and dried seaweed supplemented with meaty foods. It is not bred in captivity and is best regarded as a fish for experienced keepers.