Achilles Tang

Acanthurus achilles was first formally described in 1803 by the English biologist George Shaw but Shaw did not give a type locality and no type specimen is known. The genus Acanthurus is one of two genera in the tribe Acanthurini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Acanthurinae which is one of two subfamilies in the family Acanthuridae. This species is known to hybridise with Acanthurus nigricans.

Acanthurus achilles has the specific name achilles which Shaw did not explain. It is thought that the name refers to Achilles, the mythical hero of the Trojan War, and may be an allusion to the sharp bony plates on the caudal peduncle.

]] Acanthurus achilles is found in various reefs of Oceania, up to the islands of Hawaii and Pitcairn. The fish is also, although less commonly, found in the Mariana Islands and even some reefs in southern Mexico and Guatemala] It is a benthopelagic species which inhabits the clear waters on the seaward side of reefs.

Acanthurus achilles is herbivorous, grazing largely on benthic algae. They are territorial and monogamous.