Skip to content

DiscoverSpeciesFish

Head-band Surgeonfish

Acanthurus leucopareius

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth4–17 m
  • Water temperature22–29 °C
  • Best monthsAugust, September, and October
  • How commonOccasional
All species

Photo credit: no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

About this species

Acanthurus leucopareius, the whitebar surgeonfish or headband surgeonfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Pacific Ocean.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Acanthurus leucopareius”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 45 records
  • February: 70 records
  • March: 118 records
  • April: 476 records
  • May: 262 records
  • June: 530 records
  • July: 584 records
  • August: 843 records
  • September: 881 records
  • October: 903 records
  • November: 176 records
  • December: 35 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 4–17 m · Deepest record: 29 m

  • 0–10 m: 2,288 records
  • 10–20 m: 1,515 records
  • 20–30 m: 267 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 22–29 °C

  • 22–24 °C: 123 records
  • 24–26 °C: 560 records
  • 26–28 °C: 4 records
  • 28–30 °C: 134 records

Names and classification

English
Head-band Surgeonfish, Whitebar Surgeonfish, whitethroated surgeonfish, Whithebar Surgeonfish
Names in 5 more languages
Spanish
Pez Cirujano de Barra Blanca
Filipino
Labahita, Surahan
French
Chirurgien à barre blanche, Chirurgien à joue blanche
Japanese
Suji-kurohagi, Sujikurohagi, スジクロハギ
Simplified Chinese
白斑刺尾鯛

Other scientific names: Hepatus leucopareius, Hepatus umbra, Teuthis bishopi, Teuthis leucopareius, Teuthis umbra

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 4,223 open-data records from 1889 to 2019.
  • Species data updated October 26, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist

DiveHive uses necessary cookies to work. With your permission we also use analytics to see which pages help. Analytics is off until you say yes, and we never record what you type.

  • NecessaryAlways on: your choice, security.Always on
  • AnalyticsOff unless you accept.Off
Privacy policy