Razor Surgeonfish

Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius

Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius, Juvenile. Fish collected with a bait net out of a tidal pool, at Km 17, El Tule, Baja California Sur, February 2010. Length: 2.5 cm (1.0 inch).

Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius. Fish caught off the beach at Km 21, Cabo Real, Baja California Sur, July 2006. Length: 30 cm (12 inches). Note: this fish is a very difficult species to photograph as its coloration very quickly fades from a dark gray to a pale tan.

Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius. Fish provided by the commercial fishermen of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, June 2007. Length: 33 cm (13 inches). Note: this fish is a very difficult species to photograph as its coloration fades very quickly from a dark gray to a pale tan.

Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius. Underwater photos taken in coastal waters of San Agustin Bay, Huatulco, Oaxaca, January 2018. Photograph courtesy of Jason Quick, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius. Underwater photographs taken in coastal waters of the greater Los Cabos area, Baja California Sur, May 2018. Photographs courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius. Underwater photographs taken in Zihuantanejo Bay, Guerrero, March 2018 and March 2019. Photographs courtesy of Ron Woheau, Zihuantanejo.

Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius. Underwater photographs taken in coastal waters off Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, September 2021. Photographs courtesy of Kevin Erwin, Seattle, Washington.

Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Isle Colorado, Baja California Sur, May 2023. Photograph courtesy of Dr. Tom Bartol, Carlsbad, California.

The Razor Surgeonfish, Prionurus laticlavius, is a member of the Surgeonfish or Acanthuridae Family, that is also known at the Yellowtail Surgeonfish and is known in Mexico as conchinito barbero and indio. The Yellowtail Surgeonfish, Prionurus punctatus, was recently reclassified and consolidated into this species. Globally, there are seven species in the genus Prionurus punctatus, of which two are found in Mexican waters, both in the Pacific Ocean.

The Razor Surgeonfish has an oval compressed body. They are light gray with a few small black spots on their caudal fin base, a dark bar that runs through their eyes and another through their shoulder, and a bright yellow tail. Juveniles are either yellow or have a similar color as adults. They have a steep profile with eyes set high on their head and a small protrusible mouth located low on their head with large flattened close-set teeth. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 23 soft rays; their caudal fin is slightly concave; their dorsal fin is continuous with 7 or 8 spines and 27 or 28 rays; and their pelvic fins have 1 spine and 5 soft rays. A key to identification is the tail base, which has 3 bony knobs along each side of the middle of the caudal fin base. Their body is covered with small rough scales and they have a complete lateral line.

The Razor Surgeonfish is a coastal schooling species found in shallow waters in and around coral and rocky areas at depths up to 30 m (100 feet). They reach a maximum 60 cm (2 feet 0 inches) in length. They feed diurnally and primarily on benthic algae. The Razor Surgeonfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Razor Surgeonfish is resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but they have have a limited distribution being found from Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, southward along the southwest coast of Baja, in the southern half of the Sea of Cortez, and along the coast of the mainland south to Guatemala.

The Razor Surgeonfish is a straight forward identification that cannot be easily confused with any other species.

From a conservation perspective the Razor Surgeonfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are a very difficult catch by hook and line as they are finicky nibblers.

A word of caution. The spines at the tail base of this fish provide a unique defense mechanism and can inflict major slashing wounds, rendering them dangerous to handle.