
Bluelip Bristletooth
Ctenochaetus cyanocheilus
- Usual depth6–24 m
- Water temperature24–29 °C
- Best monthsMarch and April
- How commonCommon
Photo credit: (c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
Ctenochaetus cyanocheilus, the bluelip bristletooth, yelloweye bristletooth, goldring bristletooth, Indo-Pacific yellow tang or short-tail bristle-tooth, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This species is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Ctenochaetus cyanocheilus”, 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: 152 records
- February: 1,066 records
- March: 2,510 records
- April: 2,348 records
- May: 751 records
- June: 801 records
- July: 728 records
- August: 331 records
- September: 86 records
- October: 281 records
- November: 61 records
- December: 24 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 6–24 m · Deepest record: 33 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 24–29 °C
Photos

(c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
(c) Pierre Pericard, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Isaac Krone, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Bluelip Bristletooth, Bristle-toothed Surgeon-fish, Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish, Goldring Bristletooth, Indo-Pacific Yellow Tang, Short-tail bristle-tooth, Yelloweye Bristletooth, Yellow-eye Surgeonfish
Names in 3 more languages
- Spanish
- Pez Cirujano de Cola Corta y Dientes de Peine
- French
- Chirurgien à lèvres bleues
- Japanese
- Kinrinsazanamihagi, キンリンサザナミハギ
Similar species
Lined bristletoothCtenochaetus striatus
Spotted surgeonfishCtenochaetus strigosus
Twospot surgeonfishCtenochaetus binotatus
Pale-tailed BristletoothCtenochaetus flavicauda
Black SurgeonfishCtenochaetus hawaiiensis
Blue-spotted BristletoothCtenochaetus marginatus
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).
- 9,128 open-data records from 1967 to 2023.
- Species data updated November 1, 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.