Description
Also known as Blue Hippo Tang, Blue Surgeonfish, Blue Tang, Blue-and-Yellow Hippo Tang, Doctorfish, Flagtail Surgeonfish, Hepatus Tang, Hippo Tang, Indo-Pacific Blue Tang, Indo-Pacific Tang, Lancetfish, Pacific Blue Tang, Pacific Regal Surgeonfish, Pacific Regal Tang, Palette Surgeon, Palette Tang, Regal Tang, Thorntail, Thorntail Fish, Wedgetail Blue Tang, Wedge-tailed Tang, Yellow-tail Blue Tang.
Found singly or in loose schools, over current swept terraces of seaward reefs.
They feed on algae and plankton
Juveniles in small schools, hiding in the arms of branching corals.
Length - 31cm
Depth - 2-40m
Widespread Indo-Pacific
Surgeonfish have a blade like spine in the tail that points outwards when bent, unicorns have two hook-like plates along the tail, these are used for defence and are as sharp as a surgeons scalpel, hence the name "Surgeonfish".
Some species are venomous. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/6017
0 comments