scubaseason

Palette Surgeonfish

Paracanthurus hepatus

Sighting evidence at Geruma Turtle Cleaning Station, Kerama Islands

Palette surgeonfish gather around the cleaning station bommies in loose schools, performing cleaning duties on turtle skin while also grazing on algae across the reef flat. Their vivid blue and yellow colouration makes them highly visible against the coral, and they act as sentinels — scattering rapidly when predators approach and alerting other reef inhabitants to danger. The species is found throughout the Indo-Pacific but reaches unusually high densities at protected sites like Geruma where fishing pressure is absent.

Evidence at this site

No confirmed records on file at this site

Palette Surgeonfish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.

How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.