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Bluelip Bristletooth

Ctenochaetus cyanocheilus

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth6–24 m
  • Water temperature24–29 °C
  • Best monthsMarch and April
  • How commonCommon
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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

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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

  • 0–10 m: 1,880 records
  • 10–20 m: 4,263 records
  • 20–30 m: 2,655 records
  • 30–40 m: 5 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 24–29 °C

  • 24–26 °C: 8 records
  • 26–28 °C: 176 records
  • 28–30 °C: 779 records

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

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.

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