Common name

 

Convict surgeon tang, Convict tang, Mannini

Scientific name

 

Acanthurus triostegus

Family

 

Acanthuridae

Distribution   Indo-Pacific, Hawaii islands

 

Convict tangs are nicely coloured food fishes with a white or yellow body and six black vertical stripes. The colour of the fish resembles to a prisoner’s uniform and hence given the nickname of convict surgeonfish and convict tang. They always move in large shoals and when a large fish attacks a school they scatter like an explosion. Grows to a length of 20 cm. The optimum water quality are temperature 25-28 °C, pH 8.1-8.4, hardness 8-12 dGH and specific gravity 2.020-2.025. Generally peaceful with other tangs when kept in large aquarium. Primarily herbivore and feeds on marine algae in wild which is guarded by alogo and damsel fishes. Being remain in shoals, generally when a single tang is chased by alogo/damsels, the rest of them eat the marine algae. Accepts vitamin enriched flake foods, frozen and definitely live foods. Sexes are not distinct. It is a very difficult fish for breeding in aquarium particularly due to small and slow growing larvae.

 

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