Blue tang
Animals

Facts about blue tang

We found 17 facts about blue tang

Dory the fish

The royal blue tang is a crucial species of coral fish. Already popular marine aquarium addition, it was even further popularized by the animated movie Finding Nemo, where one of the main characters was a royal blue tang named Dory. Currently, every individual held in an aquarium is captured in the wild, but scientists give hope that it may soon be a capture-bred species.
Blue tang
1
It is the only member of the genus Paracanthurus of the family Acanthuridae.
The family groups tangs, unicornfish, and surgeonfish.
2
Due to its common name, blue tang, it tends to get confused with the Atlantic blue tang.
They are, however, easily distinguishable, since the royal blue tangs have bright yellow tails.
3
It is common in the tropical reefs of the Indo-Pacific.
4
It is royal blue, with a yellow tail, and a dark blue or black palette-like pattern on its body.
Juveniles are yellow, with light-blue edging on dorsal fins.
5
When the royal blue tang gets stressed, it can change its color to dark purple.
6
Males are larger than females.
They typically measure 25-30 centimeters and weigh up to 600 grams.
7
It possesses a razor-sharp spine sticking out near its tail.
It contains a toxin, capable of causing severe pain.
8
They are omnivorous.
Primarily, they feed on plankton but will nibble on algae. In fact, they are crucial in keeping the reef healthy, since preventing algae from overgrowing and choking corals.

Juveniles feed on plankton only.
9
The royal blue tang reaches sexual maturity at 9 - 12 months of age.
10
When it is time to breed, males and females congregate.
The fertilization is external: males expel the sperm, and females the eggs.
11
Fertilized eggs, that measure up to 0,8 millimeters, hatch within 24 to 26 hours.
Juveniles are called larvae and occupy the coral habitat until they mature. Maturity is not measured with age, but with size–females are considered mature when measuring 13 centimeters, and males when measuring 11 centimeters.
12
Royal blue tang cannot be bred in captivity. Yet.
A group of scientists managed to breed a royal blue tang in 2016, so hopefully captive-bred may be available in some time.
13
They live an average of 30 years in the wild.
Their average lifespan ranges from 8 to 20 years in captivity.
14
It is one of the most popular marine aquarium fish.
They have very sensitive skin, however, and are prone to diseases.
15
Eating a royal blue tang will result in ciguatera fish poisoning.
Every species of reef fish carries ciguatoxin and maitotoxin from the consumption of small organisms. One in 1,000 cases of poisoning will end up in death.
16
They tend to swim in large schools, usually accompanied by other species from the family Acanthuridae.
They are very sociable, so it is advised to keep at least a pair of blue tongs together. However, males tend to be aggressive toward each other.
17
They are listed as the least concern by the IUCN.
There are very common, even used as baitfish.

Scientists were concerned after the release of the animated movie “Finding Dory” (the sequel to the very popular “Finding Nemo”), that the demand for royal blue tangs would drastically increase, as was the case with clownfish after the 2003 movie “Finding Nemo.” Fortunately, that did not repeat.
Hungry for more facts?

Latest topics

42 facts about Kyshtym disaster
42 facts about Kyshtym disaster
The first nuclear accident in Earth's history
Before information about it saw the light of day, the Soviets hid it for over 30 years. The explosion at the Mayak combine was the first nuclear accid ...
37 facts about Saint Petersburg
37 facts about Saint Petersburg
A city of many names
It was a dream and a matter of prestige for the Romanov dynasty to gain access to the Baltic Sea and build a metropolis to testify to Russia's emergin ...
32 facts about Peter the Great
32 facts about Peter the Great
The first Emperor of all Russia
Peter the Great is considered one of Russia's greatest rulers. He was a great reformer, strategist, and builder who was the first of the tsars to trav ...
39 facts about Dyatlov Pass incident
39 facts about Dyatlov Pass incident
Mysterious tragedy in the Ural mountains
The case of a group of students at the Ural Polytechnical Institute in Sverdlovsk continues to arouse great interest and raise many questions. A group ...
11 facts about Brooklyn Bridge
11 facts about Brooklyn Bridge
The first steel suspension bridge in the world
It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world. It connects Brooklyn with Manhattan, runs over the East River, and was completed in 1883. ...
31 facts about Brazil
31 facts about Brazil
South America's largest country
Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America and one of the largest and most populous countries in the world. A former Portuguese ...
44 facts about Ghent
44 facts about Ghent
City of three towers
Ghent is one of Belgium's most visited cities by tourists. This beautiful old Flanders city combines dignity, beauty, culture, and creativity. It is a ...
31 facts about Thailand
31 facts about Thailand
A country on the Indochinese Peninsula
Thailand is an Asian country located in its south-eastern part, famous for its interesting culture and religious architecture. This exotic country, wh ...

Similar topics