Prionurus

Prionurus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs, although some of the species in this genus are called sawtails or doctorfish. The species in this genus are found in the Pacific Ocean with one species, P. biafraensis, found in the Atlantic Ocean.

==Taxonomy== Prionurus was first proposed as a monospecific genus in 1804 by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède when he described Prionurus microlepidotus. Lacépède did not give a type locality but the type was collected by François Péron off New South Wales. The genus Prionurus is the only genus in the tribe Prionurini which is one of three tribes in the subfamily Acanthurinae which is one of two subfamiles in the family Acanthuridae.