What is "doctor fish"

Surgeon \Sur"geon\, n. [OE. surgien, OF. surgien, contr. fr. chirurgien. See Chirurgeon.]

1. One whose profession or occupation is to cure diseases or injuries of the body by manual operation; one whose occupation is to cure local injuries or disorders (such as wounds, dislocations, tumors, etc.), whether by manual operation, or by medication and constitutional treatment.

2. (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of ch[ae]todont fishes of the family Teuthid[ae], or Acanthurid[ae], which have one or two sharp lancelike spines on each side of the base of the tail. Called also surgeon fish, doctor fish, lancet fish, and sea surgeon. Surgeon apothecary, one who unites the practice of surgery with that of the apothecary. --Dunglison. Surgeon dentist, a dental surgeon; a dentist. Surgeon fish. See def. 2, above. Surgeon general.

   1. In the United States army, the chief of the medical department.

   2. In the British army, a surgeon ranking next below the chief of the medical department.

Garra rufa, also called doctor fish, nibble fish, kangal fish, and bonefish (in New England) is a small species of cyprinid fish that is native to rivers, streams, ponds and lakes in the Middle East.

Since the early 21st century, Garra rufa have been integrated into a spa treatment where they feed on the skin of patients with psoriasis. While the doctor fish treatment has been found to alleviate the symptoms of psoriasis, the treatment is not curative, and no cure for psoriasis currently exists. The use of the fish as a spa treatment for the wider public is still widely debated on grounds of efficacy and validity.