Comparative demography of four large-bodied surgeonfish

Growth rate, longevity, and maturity were estimated for four commonly targeted species of surgeonfish in Hawai‘i: ringtail surgeonfish/pualu Acanthurus blochii , eyestripe surgeonfish/palani Acanthurus dussumieri , orange-band surgeonfish/na‘ena‘e Acanthurus olivaceus , and yellowfin surgeonfish/pualu Acanthurus xanthopterus . All species demonstrated rapid growth with long life spans. The maximum observed ages were 26 years for A. blochii , 30 years for A. dussumieri , 14 years for A. olivaceus , and 29 years for A. xanthopterus . Females reached maturity at a greater size and age for all four species. All species reached maturity within the first 3 years of life and approximately 59–67% of maximum size. All four surgeonfish species demonstrated a biphasic mortality schedule with a higher total mortality rate occurring earlier part of life. This study provides a comprehensive study of the age, growth, and maturity for four large-bodied surgeonfish species which are commonly targeted throughout Hawai‘i and the rest of the Indo-Pacific.