Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis thechevron tang, black surgeonfish, Hawaiian bristletooth, Hawaiian kole or Hawaiian surgeonfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the tropical Pacific Ocean.

Oviparous

starts with

Appearance

Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis has the dorsal fin supported by 8 spines and between 27 and 29 soft rays while the anal fin is supported by 3 spines and 25 or 26 soft rays. The adults look black from a distance but uniform colour is broken by many thin green stripes. The juveniles are very different from the adults having deeper bodies with an overall colour bright orange red with many dark chevron markings. This fish has a maximum published total length of 25 cm (9.8 in)

Distribution

Geography

Continents

North America, Asia, Oceania

Subcontinents

Polynesia, East Asia, Micronesia, Melanesia

Countries

Japan, United States, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu

Regions

French Polynesia, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Guam, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Pitcairn, Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna, Hawaii

Oceans

Pacific Ocean

Islands

Gilbert Island, Howland-Baker Island, Johnston Island, Kiribati Line Island, Midway Island, Phoenix Island, US Line Island, Wake Island

Biogeographical realms

Palearctic, Nearctic, Oceanian

Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis has a wide distribution in the tropical Pacific Ocean from the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan east as far as Hawaii, through most of Micronesia and French Polynesia as far south as the Pitcairn Islands and Rapa Iti. This is an uncommon species of seaward reefs, both rock and coral reefs, with the juveniles typically occurring in deeper waters rich in corals.