WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Palette Surgeonfish

Paracanthurus hepatus

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

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2012
VenomousKeep your distance
Juvenile
@epic · Cod Hole - Great Barrier Reef, Australia · July 20091 / 1

Showing details for the juvenile stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.

01

Overview

Juveniles in small schools, hiding in the arms of branching corals.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Fins & Tail
yellow tail

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

Where the juvenile stage lives, and where its photos were taken.

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 1
04

Juvenile photos 1

05

Discussion

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

No comments yet. Seen one, or got a question about it? Start the discussion.

    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderAcanthuriformes
    5. familyAcanthuridae
    6. genusParacanthurus
    7. speciesParacanthurus hepatus (Linnaeus, 1766)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Surgeonfishes-Tangs-Unicornfishes (Acanthuridae)