Earbar Surgeonfish

Brown in color when preserved; a black bar on upper edge of gill opening; head spotted; a less intense dark mark just behind the eye, connected narrowly with the dark bar; a dark brown region around the caudal spine; outer third of upper pectoral rays pale yellow. Large adults develop a distinctly convex head profile (Ref. 1602). Gill rakers on anterior row:19-23, on posterior row: 21-24.Description: Characterized further by having caudal spine length of 2.5-3.2 in head length; greatest depth of body 2.0-2.2 in SL (Ref. 90102).

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 24 - 26; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 22 - 24

Inhabits clear outer reef flats and seaward reefs. Solitary or in small wide-ranging groups (Ref. 9710). Usually in schools of mixed similar species when grazing algae (Ref. 48637).

Inhabits clear outer reef flats and seaward reefs (Ref. 9710). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Solitary or in small wide-ranging groups (Ref. 9710). Usually in schools of mixed similar species when grazing algae (Ref. 48637).

fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial

分布於印度-西太平洋區，西起馬爾地夫、安達曼海、聖誕島至菲律賓及萊恩島，北至至日本的琉球群島，南至薩摩亞。台灣南部、北部、東部及離島之綠島、蘭嶼等海域有產。

一般以流刺網、延繩釣或潛水鏢魚法等捕獲。觀賞及食用兼具。剝皮後，煮薑絲湯，肉質鮮美。尾柄上骨質盾板非常銳利，易傷人，處理時需小心。

體呈橢圓形而側扁。頭小，頭背部輪廓不特別凸出。口小，端位，上下頜各具一列扁平齒，齒固定不可動，齒緣具缺刻。背鰭及臀鰭硬棘尖銳，分別具XI棘及III棘，各鰭條皆不延長；胸鰭近三角形；尾鰭彎月形，隨著成長，上下葉逐漸延長。體橄欖綠至暗褐色，具許多藍灰色不規則的波狀縱線，頭部及頸部則散佈許多暗橙色班點；胸鰭上方具一橢圓形黑斑。背鰭及臀鰭褐色，基底及鰭緣具藍帶；尾鰭黑褐色，基部有一白帶，具藍色緣；胸鰭暗色，末端黃色；尾柄棘溝緣為藍黑色，而尾棘則為淡色。

主要棲息於清澈而面海的潟湖及礁區，棲息深度一般在15公尺以下，幼魚則活動於水表層至水深3公尺處。以藻類為食。

Acanthurus maculiceps is a tang from the Indo-West Pacific. It is known commonly as the white-freckled surgeonfish It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 40 cm in length.