Biafra Doctorfish Care Guide
Prionurus biafraensis is an Eastern Atlantic surgeonfish from the Gulf of Guinea with a compressed grey body and bony caudal plates.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Prionurus biafraensis, the Biafra doctorfish, is an Eastern Atlantic surgeonfish with a deep, oblong, compressed body, two pale bars on the head and three spines in grooves on each side of the caudal peduncle. It was first described in 1962 as Xesurus biafraensis. FishBase reports a maximum total length of 20 cm, with 15 cm more typical.
Taxonomy
- Family: Acanthuridae
- Genus: Prionurus
- Scientific name: Prionurus biafraensis
Habitat
Restricted to the Eastern Atlantic in the Gulf of Guinea, around Sao Tome Island and along the African coast from Cape Lopez in Gabon to Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo. It is a neritic, littoral species occurring near rocky shorelines at depths of roughly 5-25 m, usually in small groups.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 1500 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- dKH: 8-12
- Adult size: 50-60 cm
- Lifespan: 10-25 years
Diet
As an Acanthuridae surgeonfish it is a grazer of algae. In captivity it should receive abundant algal grazing supplemented with marine seaweed and herbivore foods to meet its needs.
Reef compatibility
It grazes algae and does not typically harm corals, but its large adult size and high bioload require a very large system. Maintain specific gravity 1.024-1.026 and dKH 8-12 with strong flow and good oxygenation. This species is rare in the aquarium trade.
Compatibility
Semi-aggressive toward other tangs, particularly those of similar shape. It needs spacious quarters and pairs well with wrasses, clownfish, angelfish and robust triggerfish in large systems.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2010). It is taken in commercial fisheries within its range.
Biafra Doctorfish (Prionurus biafraensis) Breeding Guide
Overview
The Biafra doctorfish, Prionurus biafraensis, is the only species of the otherwise Pacific sawtail genus Prionurus that is endemic to the eastern Atlantic, along the West African coast. Like its relatives it carries bony, sharp-keeled plates on each side of the caudal peduncle. As an acanthurid it is a pelagic free-spawner, releasing eggs in open water, so it is not reproduced in home aquaria.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Surgeonfishes spawn by releasing eggs and sperm into the water column after pairing or aggregating, with spawning timed to lunar and tidal cycles. These open-water events cannot be reproduced in an aquarium.
Egg & Fry Care
Fertilised eggs are pelagic and develop into the transparent acronurus larva typical of the family, which drifts in the plankton before settling and metamorphosing into a juvenile. The fragility and feeding requirements of this larval stage place rearing beyond home means.
Common Challenges
There is no documented home breeding of this Atlantic sawtail tang. Its pelagic spawning mode and prolonged planktonic acronurus larva confine reproduction to specialised aquaculture facilities.