Common Name: Surgeon fish, Tangs
There are six genera and about 86 species of tans, many are popular in the marine aquarium hobby.
Scientific Name: Acanthuridae (order Perciformes)
Two examples
Common Name: Yellow Tang, Disney’s “Bubbles”.
Scientific name: Zebrasoma flavescens
Discoverer and Date: Bennett 1828
Where found in the wild; From southern Japan to the Hawaiian Archipelago, mostly endemic to the Hawaiian Islands.
Description: Up to 9 inches, yellow, characteristic sharp tang near the tail. An algivore, most tangs are limited to ward waters where macro algae’s are available year long. Yellow tangs congregate in large schools near sundown where and when they spawn.
Common name: Blue Tang, Disney’s Dory.
Scientific name: Paracanthurus hepatus, the blue tang, is the only member of its genus
Discoverer and date: Linnaeus 1766
Where found in the wild: This is the most widely distributed tangs, ranging from Fiji, south from the entire coast of Eastern Austraila, north towards Japan and west all the way to Eastern Africa.
Description: The Blue Tang has blue body with black markings. The caudal fin is yellow with a black stripe. It has a blade on both sides of the caudal peduncle and venomous fin spines. Can grow to more than 12 inches.