Saltwater
Palette surgeonfish
Paracanthurus hepatus
Acanthuridae, Acanthurinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 31 cm
- Body shape
- Deep-bodied
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 715 liters
- Diet
- Missing
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Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in American Samoa, Australia, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Comoros, Cook Islands, Guam, and 28 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Occur in clear, current-swept terraces of seaward reefs. Observed in loose aggregations 1 or 2 meters above the bottom; juveniles and subadults typical in groups near isolated Pocillopora eydouxi coral heads and when alarmed hide themselves tightly among the branches. Benthopelagic. Feed on zooplankton and occasionally on algae. Relatively uncommon and highly localized. Very popular and hardy aquarium fish. Anterolateral glandular groove with venom gland.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Acanthurus hepatus
- Acanthurus theuthis
- Paracanthurus theuthis
- Teuthis hepatus
In other languages
- Palettkirurgfisk, Palettkirurg
- Paletkirurgfisk
- Palettivälskäri
- Blue surgeon, Blue surgeonfish, Blue tang, Dory, Flag-tail surgeon-fish, Flagtail surgeonfish, Hepatus tang, Indo-pacific bluetang, Palette surgeon, Palette tang, Regal blue surgeonfish, Regal tang, Surgeonfish, Wedge-tailed tang, Wedgetail blue tang, Wedgetailed blue tang
Articles
All articles
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.
From freshwater to saltwater3 min read
What is different in a saltwater aquarium: salt, refractometer, live rock and corals. An introduction for anyone thinking of giving it a try.