Its body is deep and compressed, and its dorsal and anal fins are pointed and swept back, making the fish appear deeper than it is long. The dorsal fin has a long, filamentous extension.
Adults develop protuberances over the eyes that enlarge with age.
Although a member of the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae, the moorish idol lacks the formidable tail spines of its relatives. Indeed, young and adults appear so different that they were originally thought to be separate species. All rights reserved. The Evergreen Project, Inc.