Large Tang ID Please?

H

hooked82

Member
Well I purchased my new tank from a guy and this was the only fish that either him or I couldnt name.
He wasnt sure so thats where you guys com in. What kind of tang/surgeonfish is this?
I make the deduction that its a tang only due to its shape and the marking by the back fin like all tangs have.
He is about 9"-10" long, oh and the 2nd pic my juvy emp. is saying hello.

Sorry I wasnt able to clean the glass, and btw, this is a temp tank so dont mind the heater/powerhead heh.


DSCN5864.JPG

DSCN5869.JPG
 
Shells

Shells

Active Member
:invisible OH MY GOSH!!!! what an awsome tang!!! OH MY GOSH!! :whstlr:

i've been investigating this, and the only fish i can come up with thats close to him, with my resourses is the Tailring surgeonfish, acanthurus blochii. i can not find another fish that comes close..

my very first question i have to ask you is, you have a fish that is 10" in length,,,do you have the size tank he needs to survive.....??
 
H

hooked82

Member
Shells said:
:invisible OH MY GOSH!!!! what an awsome tang!!! OH MY GOSH!! :whstlr:
Click to expand...
Thanks Shells.

Shells said:
:my very first question i have to ask you is, you have a fish that is 10" in length,,,do you have the size tank he needs to survive.....??
Click to expand...
Yes, he will be back in his 125 gallon here as soon as I finish my plumbing on it and get it leak free. Will have to see if that is even too small for him once I get it setup. If I cant keep him happy in the tank I will more than likely have to get rid of it to somebody with a larger tank. Torturing the fish is the last thing I want to do.

Boomer said:
:It is a streesed out Atlantic Blue Tang
Click to expand...
You suggest this becuase it doesnt have much color to it? Even before I got the tank, weeks and weeks before I transfered, he looked like this. He doesnt seem stressed and is doing quite fine. I too though that it may be a ABT, as it was the closest thing I could find, but wasnt satisfied with "closest". Another reason is like Shells said, he has a black "knife", and the atlantic blue looks to have a white one.
 
R

razz

Member
sure does look alot like one of the surgenfish here in hawaii..im going to the store tommorrow and will check to see ..
 
BoomerD

BoomerD

Well-Known Member
A 10" tang in a 125? WAY too small...even a 180 would be pushing it for a fish that size IMO...

While I don't think I've ever seen an a. coeruleus in that color, (most have been a vivid blue) the scribbled markings make me agree with my evil twin on this ID...(although it COULD perhaps be Acanthurus bahianus...similar marking and coloring...grows to 15"+)
Acanthurus%20coeruleus%20Chirirgien-bleu%20Z.jpg


fish52.jpg


cleaningstation.jpg



My only doubts come from the size... a. coeruleus should only get to about 9"...
 
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Hooked

You suggest this becuase it doesnt have much color to it?

I do not know how long you have had it you did not say. ABT can come in different shades from blue to purple to grays to brown. They can change color.

What I missed was the "knife" it is black and thus can not be a ATB. I have looked at about 100 pics in the last hr. I'm pretty sure Shell's is correct and it is a Acanthurus bahianus. It for sure is not a Acanthurus blochii.

I had a pic of a Acanthurus bahianus that is a good pic but the fish is sick but he appearance is just like your image. I'll go back and see if I can find it :D

Prow

No, it has a white knife ;)
 
prow

prow

Well-Known Member
ok i think i got it. Acanthurus dussumieri
 

Attachments

  • 645_1.jpg
    645_1.jpg
    30.8 KB · Views: 42
BoomerD

BoomerD

Well-Known Member
COULD be...MAYBE...I looked pretty hard as many pics of the dussmieri,
Acanthurus_dussumieri.jpg

but there seemed to be enough differences between it and the one in hooked's photos to dismiss it...
 
H

hooked82

Member
Ok, I threw 9"-10" out there in the first post but that was going off of a guess. So I took a tape measure to the glass when he was up front and is more like 8-1/4". I have been looking up pictures of all that you guys have been posting and I found these pictures that look very similar. What do you guys think? Its the Ringtail Surgeonfish(Acanthurus blochii) like Shells pointed out.
Acblo_u0.jpg

Acanthurus.blochii2.jpg.JPG


Also I looked at the Ocean Surgeon(Acanthurus bahianus) and it looks similar, but it doesnt have the yellow marking behind its eyes.
 
H

hooked82

Member
Boomer said:
Hooked

You suggest this becuase it doesnt have much color to it?

I do not know how long you have had it you did not say. ABT can come in different shades from blue to purple to grays to brown. They can change color.

What I missed was the "knife" it is black and thus can not be a ATB. I have looked at about 100 pics in the last hr. I'm pretty sure Shell's is correct and it is a Acanthurus bahianus. It for sure is not a Acanthurus blochii.

I had a pic of a Acanthurus bahianus that is a good pic but the fish is sick but he appearance is just like your image. I'll go back and see if I can find it :D

Prow

No, it has a white knife ;)
Click to expand...

I was just curious as to why you thought that, wasnt trying to come off like a :flaming: . I appreciate everybodys help, keep the suggestions coming, thanks. Would love to know what fish I have, lol.

Dang boomer, poor fish :(
Was it yours or just a pic you came across?
 
Last edited:
Boomer

Boomer

Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Hook

A key to that fish is the big yellow mark behind the eye. I see yellow in the your pic but it is poor, faded and hard to tell. You will know best about that. If that is the case that is what you have IMHO.

No Hook, I just found the pic looking for you :D

Prow again white knife, no deal;)
 
H

hooked82

Member
Prow: Yeah, the Acanthurus family is a good start. I just need to get a very close look at the guy or something and try to compare these pics. He doesnt have quite as much yellow as the pic of your Prow, but then again he did just go through a move and isnt under the same lighting as he was.

Boomer: Very true.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top