Spotted-face Surgeonfish

Acanthurus maculiceps has an oval, laterally compressed body with a convex dorsal profile to the head. The dorsal fin is supported by 9 spines and 24-26 soft rays, and the anal fin is supported by 3 spines and 22-24 soft rays. The pectoral fins have yellow tips, and the caudal fin is lunate with long filaments growing out of the fin lobes. The head is marked with pale spots and the body has fine lines along the flanks. There is a yellow patch underneath the mouth and an elongated dark blotch to the rear of the eye. The spine on the caudal peduncle is within a dark blotch and there is frequently a yellowish band on caudal peduncle. The overall color may vary from light yellow to dark brown, and the change in color can happen very quickly. This species has a maximum published standard length of 40 cm (16 in), and juveniles (which are white with a truncate caudal fin) gradually start developing adult coloration from a length of 20 cm (7.9 in).

Acanthurus maculiceps is found in the Indo-Pacific region. In the west, its range extends to Maldives, the Ryukyu Islands, the Line Islands and the Great Barrier Reef off Australia in the west, north, east and south respectively. It is found in clear waters in the outer reef flats and on seaward reefs at depths of 1–15 m (3.3–49.2 ft).

The specific name maculiceps combines the Latin words maculatus (meaning "spotted") and ceps (meaning "head"), and refers to the large number of pale spots on the head of this fish.