Tang identity?

[Hongt713]

can someone identify this tang i bought it as a doctor tang but i dont think thats what it is... my guess is can it be a dussimieri tang?

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL367/11060598/21863655/366916109.jpg

[yukonblizzard]

I think its a Duss Tang as well.

[Hongt713]

yeah that was my guess, so for sure its not a doctor tang...? Would really like to knowwhat it is as of right now i call it the unknown =)

[Recty]

It does look like a dussumieri tang, but the caudal pendacle is black, a dussu should have a white one.

I'd guess it's possibly a fowleri, but I'm not a super tang expert.

[Hongt713]

so what options do u think it can be?

[Recty]

I edited my post but you probably didnt read it again ;)

I think it's a Fowleri.

[AuroraDrvr]

Not a fowleri. Or atleast I don't think so, lacks a lot of coloration..


I'd probably lean more towards Acanthurus blochii...

[Recty]

We've received quite a few tangs that were at least marked as being fowleri at the LFS I help do their incoming shipments, they looked almost exactly like the one in the OP's picture.

Of course, that doesnt mean that the tangs we received were labeled correctly :)

[Hongt713]

i have a fowleri tang on my other post and thats not a fowleri, i am leaning towards dussimieri

[Superstretch18]

It's hard to tell from that photo, but I think that could be a doctorfish (aka Acanthurus chirurgus):

http://laaquariumvolunteers.org/staticfiles/_idpics/doctorfish.jpg

Doesn't have the vertical stripes, but has the exact same facial markings, dorsal stripe and black scalpel. Another picture would be helpful though...

[Hongt713]

i will try to snap a better pic of him

[DamnPepShrimp]

Need a better picture but its definitely not a duss. Its hard to tell at that stage since there are quite a few tangs that all look alike.

[ironmics]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15198147#post15198147 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AuroraDrvr
Not a fowleri. Or atleast I don't think so, lacks a lot of coloration..


I'd probably lean more towards Acanthurus blochii...
I was gonna guess blochii too.

[urbor]

yeah its a blochii, you can tell b/c it has black scapel

dusses have white ones

and its definetly not a fowleri

[Hongt713]

that cant be a blotchi i have a blotchi and fowleri

heres my blotchi
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL367/11060598/21863655/366916352.jpg

and heres my fowleri
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL367/11060598/21863655/366916250.jpg

it looks nothing like those two

[Hongt713]

Heres a nother pic of the unknown hes on the bottom middle
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL367/11060598/21863655/366917055.jpg

[urbor]

hongt713 your first tang you showed, the one that you think is a blochii is a mata tang

[Superstretch18]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15202677#post15202677 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by urbor
hongt713 your first tang you showed, the one that you think is a blochii is a mata tang

+1

I still think that the OP's fish is a doctorfish...

[Hongt713]

what really, urbor the fish i thought was a blotchii is really a mata? i looked at a mata its bluish green.. that fish was sold to me as a blotchii african tang... somthing like that

Superstretch18 the fish cant be a doctor tang it dosnt even hav the stripes and its pretty much large already can it be a palani tang?

[Superstretch18]

Tangs can change color in response to stress, time of day, etc. i wouldn't rely on the stripes as being the #1 factor for identification.

Honestly, for a doctorfish, the most apparent feature is the long nose profile. If it has that, then it's probably a doctorfish. If not, maybe a bahianus, which is from the same general area.

Blochii have a more distinct profile, especially larger specimens:

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AcanthuroidPIX/TangPIX/Acanthurus/A.%20blochii/Acanthurus%20blochii%20crop%20old%20airport.JPG

The other tang is a planktonivore, so if not mata, something closely related. I'm leaning towards a mata though...

[Hongt713]

hmm i guess only way is to wait till its more mature

[evsalty]

I am no Tang expert but this is the very first pic I came across on Yahoo when searching for Blochii Tangs. Sure looks like your ID Tang but completely matured. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/Acanthurus_blochii_by_NPS.jpg

Now here is your first pic so everyone can compare and put in their $.02.

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL367/11060598/21863655/366916109.jpg

I notice a lot of similarities.

The mouth color.

The blue line at the bottom of the dorsal fin.

The light white color at the begining of the tail.

The overall color of the body.

And overall the shape of both the body and face.

[evsalty]

Just found the next pic and low and behold .........you decide but looks like your Tang has been ID'd.

http://www.fishbase.org/images/species/Acblo_u2.jpg

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL367/11060598/21863655/366916109.jpg

[Hongt713]

wow great job that does looks like it... so i guess my unknown tang is a blotchi... And my blotchi is a mata? sounds bout right guys?

so let me get this straight this is a blotchi

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL367/11060598/21863655/366916109.jpg

and this is a mata?
http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL367/11060598/21863655/366916352.jpg

[Hongt713]

wow great job the second pic u posted looks exactly like it what is that one? thanks evsalty

[evsalty]

You are welcome. That second pic that I posted is also a Blochii. I want to see a full shot of your Vlamingii. Mine is so small right now.

[evsalty]

I have to ask....what size tank do you have? That is a lot of big tangs in one tank so I am guessing that your tank is huge. The Vlamingii and Mata can both get above 18" and that Naso can get pretty big too.

[Hongt713]

mines about 12"

i have photos under same furom but title is fish pictures

[Hongt713]

tankis 471g