Definition of "surgeonfish" [surgeonfish]

• Any of various bright-colored tropical marine fishes of the family Acanthuridae, having one or more sharp erectile spines near the base of the tail. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Other important components of the fringing reef ecosystem include algae (brown, red and green), marine invertebrates (shrimp, lobster, crabs and sea urchins) and fishes (parrotfish, wrasses, damselfish, surgeonfish, goatfish, jacks and sharks)."
• "Deep-reef fish include squirrelfish, soldierfish, surgeonfish, snappers and emperors."
• "Doctorfish typically feed above the reefs and surgeonfish typically feed in sandy areas and sea grass beds adjacent to the reef."