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Australian Wildlife

  Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)





Blue Tang | Paracanthurus hepatus photo
Blue Tang photographed at Underwater World, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Image by ozwildlife - Some rights reserved.

Blue Tang | Paracanthurus hepatus photo
Blue Tang photographed at Underwater World, Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland

Image by ozwildlife - Some rights reserved.







BLUE TANG FACTS

Description
The Blue Tang is well known as Dory, the forgetful fish from the Disney/Pixar movie "Finding Nemo". The Blue Tang is a member of the surgeonfish family. It is easily recognised by its blue body with black markings and yellow triangle marking on the tail. It has a blade on both sides of the tail stem (caudal peduncle), and also has venomous fin spines.

Other Names
Palette Surgeon, Hepatus Tang, Blue Surgeonfish, Regal Tang

Size
up to 31cm

Food
zooplankton

Range
The Blue Tang is found throughout the Indo-West Pacific. In Australia it is found along the length of the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

Notes
As an aquarium fish, Blue Tang requires a 70 gallon or larger aquarium with a number of hiding places and plenty of room to swim. It is tolerant of other tangs, but can be aggressive towards other Blue Tangs. They will eat meaty foods along with the other fish in the aquarium, but must be offered plenty of marine based seaweed and algae.



Classification
Class:Actinopterygii
Order:Perciformes
Family:Acanthuridae
Genus:Paracanthurus
Species:hepatus
Common Name:Blue Tang