Trivia question for Oct-01-2011

Carter picked this cool looking sea dweller for his trivia today.  Let’s see how you do with this one.  There are over 80 species in this family of fish.

These guys undergo dramatic changes in form and coloration in the course of their life.  Shoals commonly graze the marine plants and algae that flourish on coral reefs.  The distinctive characteristic of the family is the spines, one or more on either side of the tail, which are dangerously sharp. The dorsal, anal and caudal fins are large, extending for most of the length of the body. The small mouths have a single row of teeth used for grazing on algae.

So here are Carter’s questions:  Tell us what type of fish this is and how they got their name?  Also, tell us what happens to humans when they try to eat these fish?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations goes out to Marlene from Swanee GA for being the first with the correct answer to our trivia.  The family of fish we featured are Surgeonfish. Acanthuridae (“thorn tail”) is the family of surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicorn-fishes. The family includes about 80 species in six genera, all of which are marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs. Many of the species are brightly colored and popular for aquaria.

The distinctive characteristic of the family is the spines, one or more on either side of the tail, which are dangerously sharp which is where they get their name from. Humans eating surgeonfish can suffer food poisoning known as ciguatera.  The poison may derive from algal toxins stored in the fish’s flesh.  Here is more on these colorful fish: Surgeonfish

Thanks for playing along 😉