Paracanthurus hepatus

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Palette Surgeonfish, Regal Tang, Blue Tang, Hippo Tang

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa north to Southern Japan and south to the Line Islands, Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia, Samoa.

Size: 12 inches (30 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits clear, current-swept outer reef terraces and usually found at depths between 30 - 150 feet (10 - 45 m) where it feeds mainly on zooplankton and somewhat on algae.

General Husbandry: Common and extremely popular in the trade! Has a bright blue body with a black horizontal bar on the upper body that extends from behind the eye to the rear of the body, then loops forward to the gill area encompassing an area of bright blue, and a yellow tail edged on its top and bottom lobes in black.

Best maintained in well-established reef or fish-only aquariums with wide-open swimming areas, yet having rocky crevices an/or branches of stony corals to take shelter as needed, as this is a shy species, especially when first entering the aquarium

Tankmates should be non-fin-nipping, peaceful species.

Requires a varied meaty and vegetable diet, including finely chopped fresh or frozen shrimp, mysis, marine fish flesh, clams, and enriched vegetable flakes, Spirulina, and also prepared foods for planktivores and herbivores, and requires three or four feedings per day.

May be difficult to get feeding when first introduced into the aquarium and if so, try live adult fortified brine shrimp.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Acanthuroidei

Family: Acanthuridae

Genus: Paracanthurus

FYI: Juveniles can be kept in groups, yet adults do better by themselves.

They are more sociable than most other tangs and also very susceptible to white spot infestations (Cryptocaryon), possibly because they produce little body slime.

Quite susceptible lateral line and fin erosion.

Adults tend to lose the blue coloration in the belly area.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Herbivore/Omnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: Yes

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 150 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 - 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.025

pH: 8.0 - 8.5