🐟TANG-UARY🐟
Day 31:
Zebra Tang / Black-Barred Surgeonfish
(Acanthurus polyzona)⁠

Zebra Tangs are found in a very limited range. They make their home in shallow reefs, lagoons, & coral seabeds around Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion & the Comoro Islands.

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Day 30:
Gold Rim Tang / Powder Brown Tang
(Acanthurus japonicus)⁠

Due to their somewhat similar appearance, this tang was once considered a subspecies of the Whitecheek Surgeonfish. Their species name (japonicus) referred to their Japanese locality.

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Day 29:
Unicorn Tang / Bluespine Unicornfish
(Naso unicornis)⁠

Recognizable by the tapering horn on the foreheads.

Like other tangs, they have sharp spines where the body meets the tail (the caudal peduncle). However, Unicorn Tangs have 2!

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Day 28:
Gold-Ring Bristletooth Tang / Spotted Bristletooth
(Ctenochaetus truncatus)⁠

Like other Bristletooths, they have rows of flexible bristle-like teeth used to scrape their food (detritus, diatoms, & algae) off of rocks & other surfaces.

1 17

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Day 27:
Lavender Tang/Brown Tang
(Acanthurus nigrofuscus)⁠

Found throughout the Indo-Pacific, these tangs form large schools to feed on algae. They do this to overwhelm territorial surgeonfish species that are higher up on the reef's pecking order.

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Day 25:
Sohal Tang
(Acanthurus sohal)⁠

The Sohal Tang is found mostly in the Red Sea & around the Persian Gulf.
Their striking coloration & pattern design (as well as overall health & hardiness) have made them a prized fish in the aquarium trade.

2 14

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Day 24:
Lieutenant Tang / Doubleband Surgeonfish
(Acanthurus tennenti)⁠

These fish are typically an olive-tan color. A notable feature is the 2 dark streaks behind the eyes & a large black spot with a blue-ish border around their peduncle spines.

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Day 23:
Mimic Lemon Peel Tang / Chocolate Surgeonfish
(Acanthurus pyroferus)⁠

As juveniles, these fish exhibit 3 different color patterns - mimicking local marine angelfish of the area (differs based on location).

2 17

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Day 22:
Orange Shoulder Surgeonfish
(Acanthurus olivaceus)⁠

As juveniles, these fish are bright yellow. They become grey/brown in color as they age. They have a sharp vertical break in color and a distinct orange & blue patch behind their eyes.

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Day 21:
White Tail Bristletooth Tang
(Ctenochaetus flavicauda)⁠

Inhabiting shallow coral reefs, these tangs are found throughout the Central Pacific Ocean.

Growing to ~4.5in long, they are the smallest of the Bristletooth Tang species.

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Day 20:
Scopas / Brown / Twotone Tang
(Zebrasoma scopas)⁠

Found in lagoons & seawrd reefs of the Indo-Pacific, these fish usually school in groups of about 20.

Popular in the aquarium trade due to their small size, low aggression & hardy nature.

1 9

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Day 19:
Naso Tang / Pacific Orange-spine Unicornfish⁠
(Naso lituratus)⁠

This Indo-Pacific fish is found in lagoons and seaward reefs. Was once combined into one species with the Blonde Naso Tang, but now recognized as a separate species.

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Day 18:
Kole Tang / Spotted Surgeonfish
(Ctenochaetus strigosus)⁠

The Kole Tang, as a juvenile, is yellow in color. That color fades to a dark, reddish-brown with light colored stripes as they age. Most notable is the vivid yellow surrounding the eyes.

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Day 15:
Gem Tang / Spotted Tang⁠
(Zebrasoma gemmatum)⁠

Juvenile Gem Tangs are a dark blue with spots - but as they age, their colors become a vibrant shade of dark blue/purple with a stunning array of small white spots. ⁠⁠

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Day 14:
Chevron Tang⁠ / Black Surgeonfish⁠
(Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis)⁠

These tangs undergo a color shift as they age. Juveniles are dark orange with dark blue chevron patterns. As they age, they turn black with blue horizontal stripes. ⁠

3 19

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Day 13:
Whitecheek Tang / Whitecheek Surgeonfish⁠
(Acanthurus nigricans)⁠

These fish are found in the Eastern Indian Ocean & Indo-Pacific region from the Great Barrier Reef all the way to Mexico.

Can you guess where they get their name from?

3 22

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Day 12:
Mimic Eibli Tang / Indian Ocean Mimic Surgeonfish⁠
(Acanthurus tristis)⁠

As juveniles, these fish look strikingly similar to the Red Stripe Angelfish (thus the name "Mimic"), but as they age, the stripes and extra colors fade away.

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Day 11:
Purple Tang / Yellowtail Tang⁠
(Zebrasoma xanthurum)

Purple Tangs are purple in color (which is covered with dark spots and horizontal stripes), yellow tails, and most have yellow on the tips of their pectoral fins as well.

🐟

3 21

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Day 10:
Black Tang / Longnose Surgeonfish⁠
(Zebrasoma rostratum)⁠

⁠Black Tangs are typically a dark brown to almost black⁠ in color, but they have a bright white tail spine and an unusually long snout. ⁠

🐟

4 24

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Day 9:
Pacific Sailfin Tang⁠ / Sailfin Tang⁠
(Zebrasoma veliferum)⁠ ⁠

Native to reefs of the Pacific, these fish can communicate with other fish (of various species) using visual displays - like color changes in their dorsal & anal fins. ⁠ ⁠

🐟

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