| Louvar | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Suborder: | Acanthuroidei |
| Family: | Luvaridae |
| Genus: | Luvarus |
| Species: | L. imperialis |
| Binomial name | |
| Luvarus imperialis Rafinesque, 1810 |
|
The louvar or luvar, Luvarus imperialis, is a species of perciform fish, the only extant species in the genus Luvarus and family Luvaridae. Other species and genera are only known from fossils dating back to the Paleogene. It is closely related to the surgeonfish. The juvenile form has a pair of spines near the base of the tail, like the surgeonfish, though they are lost in the adult.
It is a big ellipsoidal fish, growing to two meters in length. It is pink in color and possesses a characteristic bulging forehead.
It is found in surface waters of temperate and tropical oceans throughout the world. It feeds on jellyfish, ctenophores and other soft-bodied planktonic animals.