Acanthurus mata (Cuvier 1829), 1801

Andréfouët, Serge, Chen, Wei-Jen, Kinch, Jeff, Mana, Ralph, Russell, Barry C., Tully, Dean & White, William T., 2019, Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records, Zootaxa 4588 (1), pp. 1-360 : 300

Acanthurus mata (Cuvier 1829) —Yellow-mask surgeonfish

Status at New Ireland. New record, based on specimens observed at Kavieng fish market in 2004–2005 by Jeff Kinch during CFMDP Survey; a video of a specimen taken at Martha's Shoal, east of New Hanover , St. KR 154, at 6–20 m depth, in 2014 (identified by Barry C. Russell).

Distribution and habitat. New Ireland: 1, 2.—General distribution: Red Sea, East and South Africa, Madagascar and western Mascarenes east to Tuamotu and Marquesas islands, north to southern Japan and Ogasawara Islands, south to Queensland ( Australia) and Lord Howe Island. Found on steep slopes, often in turbid waters, generally in the vicinity of coral reefs or rocky bottoms, often aggregating to feed on zooplankton, 3–100 m depth. Marine.