Bluespine unicornfish

Bluespine unicornfish
Off Norfolk Island
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Naso
Subgenus: Naso
Species:
N. unicornis
Binomial name
Naso unicornis
(Forsskål, 1775)
Synonyms
List
  • Chaetodon unicornis
    Forsskål, 1775
  • Acanthurus unicornis
    (Forsskål, 1775)
  • Monoceros biaculeatus
    Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  • Monoceros rain
    Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  • Naso fronticornis
    Lacépède, 1801
  • Harpurus monoceros
    Forster in Lichtenstein, 1844
  • Acronurus corniger
    Gronow in Gray, 1854

The bluespine unicornfish (Naso unicornis), also known as the short-nose unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Indo-Pacific. It is occasionally found in the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 70 cm in length. It is called kala ('thorn') in Hawaii, dawa in New Caledonia, and ta or in Fiji. However the name kala refers to all three species of horned unicornfish found around Hawaii.