Description:

Dorsal spines: 9; Dorsal rays: 22-26; Anal spines: 3; Anal rays: 19-22.

Body is olivaceous grey to yellow grey dorsally shading to white ventrally with 6 narrow black bars, the first on the head passing through the eye, 4 on the body and 1, typically broken, on the caudal peduncle. Anal and pelvic fin may display basal black bar. 

Maturity: Lm 8.8 cm TL. Range unknown. Max Length: 27cm but rarely exceeds 20cm. 

Adults occur in lagoon and seaward reefs with hard substrate (0-90m depth) young are abundant in tide pools. Adults are often observed in large feeding aggregations, it may also be seen as solitary or in small groups. It is a grazer that feeds on algal turfs. Forms spawning aggregations. 

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the fish trap fishery. 

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Eds. 2018. FishBase. www.fishbase.org, https://www.fishbase.de/summary/Acanthurus-triostegus (14/10/18)

Randall, J.E. (2001). Surgeonfishes of Hawaii and the World. ISBN: 1-56647-561-9