Blue Tang mature

Description:

These fish have three color phases. In their juvenile phase, they are bright yellow, changing to a mixture of yellow and blue during adolescence. They may also have blue crescents above and below the pupils of their eyes. They may also be spotted with blue or have a yellow body and blue fins. As these fish mature into the intermediate phase, their color darkens to a bright blue or purplish-gray with a yellow caudal (tail) fin. Gray longitudinal lines are located in their flank region with blue dorsal and anal fins banded with orange-brown diagonal lines. Their caudal spines become yellow to pale yellow or white. At night, blue tangs display white vertical stripes. Adult blue tangs are deep blue to purplish-blue with yellow caudal spines. The change from juvenile to intermediate to adult coloration is not size-dependent as some fish in the juvenile yellow phase may be larger than the adult blue phase.

Habitat:

Seal Cay, Belize

Notes:

This family of fishes are referred to as surgeonfish due to the very sharp, moveable spines on either side of their tails that resemble surgeons' scapels. Acanthurus is derived from the Greek "acantha" which means thorn, and the Greek "oura" which means tail.