Orange Spine Unicorn Fish Koh Tao

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Learn about the Orange Spine Unicorn Fish Koh Tao

Orange Spine Unicorn Fish on Koh Tao are a very shy and timid marine animal and can be seen more often when snorkeling rather than scuba diving preferring shallow water.

Koh Tao's Hidden Gem: The Mesmerizing Orange Spine Unicorn Fish | BlackTurtleDive.com

Where to find Orange Spine Unicorn Fish on Koh Tao

The most popular place to see the colorful Unicorn Fish are in shallow water at dive sites Laem Thian, Tanote Bay or at Twins Peaks on the northern coast of Koh Nang Yuan Island.

How to identify Orange Spine Unicorn Fish

Orange Spine Unicorn Fish have an oval shaped body and are highly compressed with a mouth that has small orange lips and a black striped nose up to their eyes.

Some but not all Orange Spine Unicorn Fish have a protruding unicorn type bone on top of their head.

The body of Orange Spine Unicorn Fish has a velvet type appearance and scales that are usually a brown grey colour.

Orange Spined Unicorn Fish
Orange Spine Unicorn Fish

Bright Orange Spines

These silky-smooth scales are interrupted by a small thin white line from the top of their head to their tail with a slightly thicker orange stripe that follows just above.

Towards the base of their body on both sides and just before their caudal fin (Tail fin), they have two protruding bright orange spines.

Orange Spine Unicorn Fish Characteristics & Behaviour

Orange Spine Unicorn Fish are one of the most beautiful fish to look at in the warm, tropical sea around Koh Tao.

If you are snorkeling you can often see one gracefully swimming around however, because they are shy and timid, they are always on the move.

Energetic Grazers around the Coral Reef

It is believed Orange Spine Unicorn Fish can grow up to forty-five centimetres (45cm) in length with males slightly larger than the females.

Orange Spine Unicorn Fish are energetic grazers and are constantly feeding on various types of Coral around the reef, which helps to keep algae levels stable for corals to thrive.

Orange Spine Unicorn Fish are also known around the world as the Naso Tang and the species is a close relative to the surgeon fish.

Orange Spined Unicorn Fish Koh Tao Thailand
Orange Spine Unicorn Fish Koh Tao Thailand

Interesting Facts about the Orange Spine Unicorn Fish

The deepest recorded sighting of one of these beautiful looking fish was just under 100 metres and the oldest known Orange Spine Unicorn Fish was 45 years old.

It is believed that the spines of the Orange Spine Unicorn Fish near their caudal fin are not only razor sharp but also contain a form of toxin.

Orange Spine Unicorn Fish have been observed clashing their tails, which is believed to be a way of settling territorial disputes or when competing for a nearby female.

Orange Spined Unicorn Fish Koh Tao
Orange Spine Unicorn Fish Koh Tao