Acanthuridae

 ( Acanthuriformes Families ) 

• Subfamily Nasinae Fowler & Bean, 1929
• Genus Naso Lacépède, 1801
• Subfamily Acanthurinae Bonaparte, 1835
• Tribe Acanthurini Bonaparte, 1839
• Genus Acanthurus Forsskål 1775
• Genus Ctenochaetus Theodore Gill, 1884
• Tribe Prionurini J. L. B. Smith, 1966
• Genus Prionurus Lacépède, 1804
• Tribe Zebrasomini Winterbottom, 1993
• Genus Paracanthurus Pieter Bleeker, 1863
• Genus Zebrasoma William Swainson, 1839

• † Acanthuroides Blot & Tyler, 1990
• † Eorandallius Blot & Tyler, 1990 (= Naseus Louis Agassiz, 1842 (preocc.))
• † Frigosorbinia Bannikov & Tyler, 2012
• † Gazolaichthys Blot & Tyler, 1990
• † Lehmanichthys Blot & Tyler, 1990
• † Metacanthurus Blot & Tyler, 1990
• † Metaspisurus Blot & Tyler, 1990
• † Padovathurus Tyler, 2005
• † Pesciarichthys Blot & Tyler, 1990
• † Proacanthurus Blot & Tyler, 1990
• † Protozebrasoma Sorbini & Tyler, 1998
• † Sorbinithurus Tyler, 1999
• † Tauichthys Tyler, 1999
• † Tylerichthys Blot, 1980

• † Arambourgthurus Tyler, 2000
• † Caprovesposus Daniltshenko, 1960
• † Glarithurus Tyler & Micklich, 2011
• ?† Eonaso Blot, 1984

• † Marosichthys Whitley, 1951

Surgeonfishes sometimes feed as solitary individuals, but they often travel and feed in schools, which may be a mechanism for overwhelming the highly aggressive defense responses of small territorial that vigorously guard small patches of algae on coral reefs. Most species are fairly small, with a maximum length of , but some in the genus Acanthurus, some in the genus Prionurus, and most species in the genus Naso may grow larger; the whitemargin unicornfish ( Naso annulatus) is the largest species in the family, reaching a length up to . These fishes may grow quickly in aquaria, so average growth size and suitability should be checked before adding them to any marine aquarium. A larval acanthurid, known as an acronurus, looks strikingly different from the juvenile and adult forms of the same individual. It is mostly transparent and tends to have a Pelagic zone lifestyle, living in open water for an extended period of time before settling on the ocean bottom near the shore, where it develops into the juvenile and ultimately the adult form.

Adults range from in length and most grow quickly even in aquaria. When considering a tang for an aquarium, the size to which these fish can grow must be considered. Larger species such as the popular Pacific blue tang surgeonfish, Naso or lipstick tang, lined surgeonfish, Acanthurus sohal, and Atlantic blue tang surgeonfish can grow to and require swimming room and hiding places.

Many also suggest adding aggressive tangs to the aquarium last as they are territorial and may fight and possibly kill other fish.

Tangs primarily graze on macroalgae from genera such as Caulerpa and Gracilaria, although they have been observed in an aquarium setting to eat meat-based fish foods. A popular technique for aquarists is to grow macroalgae in a sump or refugium. This technique not only is economically beneficial, but also serves to promote enhanced water quality through nitrate absorption. The growth of the algae can then be controlled by feeding it to the tang.