Regal tang

Paracanthurus hepatus · The regal tang is a bright blue and yellow surgeonfish that lives on coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific.

Also called Palette surgeonfish, Hippo tang, Royal blue tang, Pacific blue tang, Blue Surgeonfish.

Regal tang
Photo: DerHans04, CC BY-SA 3.0
Regal tang
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0
Regal tang
Photo: Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA, CC BY 2.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderAcanthuriformes
FamilyAcanthuridae
GenusParacanthurus
SpeciesParacanthurus hepatus

Where it lives

Coral reefs from East Africa to Japan, Samoa and the Great Barrier Reef.

Fun facts

  • Regal tangs get a little paler at night, because the blue color on their bodies fades in response to changes in light or melatonin levels.
  • When regal tangs are stressed, they extend a spine on each side of the tail base, and a quick sideways thrash of the tail can cause deep wounds.
  • Regal tangs help keep coral healthy by eating algae that might otherwise grow over the coral and choke it.
  • Regal tang eggs float on the ocean, each with a single droplet of oil inside, and they hatch in just twenty-four hours.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).