orangespine unicornfish
Naso lituratus (Forster, 1801)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
Naso lituratus, also known as the clown unicornfish, orangespined unicornfish, orangespine unicornfish, black-finned unicornfish, Pacific orangespined unicornfish, blackfinned unicornfish or the stripefaced unicornfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae, which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. It is native to the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean, where it is found in coral reefs, often in pairs.
Naso lituratus is easily identified by two bright orange forward-hooked spines on the caudal peduncle (the tail base), as well as its orange lips and black face mask. The body is brownish grey with a yellow nape and a broad black band on the dorsal fin. It reaches about 45 cm (18 in) in length.
Unique to members of Acanthuridae, including Naso lituratus, are the Epulopiscium bacteria. These bacteria aid the fishes' digestion, helping them process the algae in their diet.
Wikipedia contributors, Naso lituratus; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:59:44.731807+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Naso lituratus (Forster, 1801)
- Name authority
- (Forster, 1801)
- Common name
- orangespine unicornfish
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Acanthuriformes
- Family
- Acanthuridae
- Genus
- Naso
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderAcanthuriformes
- familyAcanthuridae Bonaparte, 1835
- genusNaso Lacepède, 1801
- speciesNaso lituratus (Forster, 1801)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Naso. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| spotted unicornfishNaso brevirostris (Cuvier, 1829) | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Naso caeruleacauda Randall, 1994 | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Naso caesius Randall & Bell, 1992 | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Naso elegans (Rüppell, 1829) | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Naso maculatus Randall & Struhsaker, 1981 | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Naso reticulatus Randall, 2001 | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| oneknife unicornfishNaso thynnoides (Cuvier, 1829) | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Naso tonganus (Valenciennes, 1835) | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| humpnose unicornfishNaso tuberosus Lacepède, 1801 | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Blue-spine nosefishNaso unicornis (Forsskål, 1775) | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| sleek unicornfishNaso hexacanthus (Bleeker, 1855) | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| white margin unicornfishNaso annulatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) | AcanthuridaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Monoceros garretti Seale, 1901 Seale, 1901 | synonym |
| Naso literatus (Forster, 1801) (Forster, 1801) | synonym |
| Prionurus eoume Lesson, 1831 Lesson, 1831 | synonym |
| Callicanthus lituratus (Forster, 1801) (Forster, 1801) | synonym |
| Acanthurus lituratus Forster, 1801 Forster, 1801 | synonym |
| Cyphomycter eoume (Lesson, 1830) (Lesson, 1830) | synonym |
| Aspisurus carolinarum Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 | synonym |
| Callicanthus literatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219665 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:45QGH. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.