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Bluespine Unicornfish
Naso unicornis (Forsskål, 1775)
A Bluespine Unicornfish at a depth of 12m, Harrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, November 1998. View larger image.
The Bluespine Unicornfish has a bony horn projecting from the head in front of the eyes. There are two blue plates bearing knife-like spines on either side of the caudal peduncle.
The tail is emaringate (glossary) in young fish but becomes truncate with filamentous lobes in larger individuals.
The Bluespine Unicornfish is usually greenish-grey. The dorsal and anal fins are yellowish with thin blue lines.
This species grows to 70cm in length.
It is found in tropical reef waters of the Indo-Pacific. In Australia it is recorded from south-western to north-western Western Australia and the northern Great Barrier Reef to northern New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
