The bluespine unicornfish or short-nose unicornfish (''Naso unicornis'') is a

tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...

from the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 70 cm in length. It is called ''kala'' (meaning "thorn") in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

, ''dawa'' in New Caledonia, and ''ta'' or ''tā'' in Fiji.

Description

The bluespine unicornfish has a blueish-gray body with two blue spines on each side at the base of the tail and a short rostrum or bony horn on the forehead. In small fish the horn is missing and males additionally have tail streamers. These fish have a leather like skin instead of scales. The Bluespine Unicorn fish can grow up to 27 inches with the largest one caught to be 12.7 lbs.

Distribution

The bluespine unicornfish is very common in the tropical

region usually occurring at temperatures between 77 and 85 F.

Habitat

The bluespine unicornfish are a near shore fish. The juvenile tend to stay close to shore while the adults tend to live from shallow to the beginnings of the deep water staying within the upper 40 feet. They tend to enjoy spots with waves or strong surges. The bluespine unicornfish live often solitary on coral reefs or can be found in small schools of unicorn fish or as a part of larger schools with many other fish species.

Diet

Bluespine unicornfish are herbivores and feed on brown and red algae with coarse or leafy blades.

Human Use & Cultural Significance

Bluespine unicornfish are eaten in abundance due to how common they are. They have a strong flavor and odor due to their diet. When skinned, the meat is white with a slight pink-red taint and a firm or moist texture. Bluespine unicornfish are usually eaten raw, boiled, grilled, baked or sauteed. The Bluespine unicornfish or the Kala was an important food source in old Hawaii. The tough skin of kala was sometimes stretched over a half coconut shell to make a small knee drum. The Hawaiians also used Kala in ceremonies between members of a tribe or between tribes. Today kala is still a common food source to the people of Hawaii and other Pacific Islands.

References

External links

* Naso (fish) Fish of Hawaii Fish of the Pacific Ocean Fish of the Indian Ocean Fish of Palau Fish described in 1775 {{Acanthuridae-stub