Paracanthurus hepatusis aspeciesof Indo-Pacificsurgeonfish.A popular fish inmarine aquaria,it is theonly memberof thegenusParacanthurus.[2][3]A number of common names are attributed to the species, includingregal tang,palette surgeonfish,blue tang(leading to confusion with the Atlantic speciesAcanthurus coeruleus),royal blue tang,hippo tang,blue hippo tang,flagtail surgeonfish,Pacific regal blue tang,andblue surgeonfish.
| Paracanthurus | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Acanthuridae |
| Tribe: | Zebrasomini |
| Genus: | Paracanthurus Bleeker,1863 |
| Species: | P. hepatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Paracanthurus hepatus | |
Description
editParacanthurus hepatushas a royal blue body, yellow tail, and black "palette" design. The lower body is yellow in the west-centralIndian Ocean.[4]It grows to 30 cm (12 in).[2]Adults typically weigh around 600 g (21 oz) and males are generally larger than females.[5]This fish is rather flat, like apancake,with a circular body shape, a pointed snout-like nose, and smallscales.The blue tang has nine dorsal spines, 26–28 dorsal soft rays, three anal spines, and 24–26 anal soft yellow rays.
Ecology
editLocation
editThe regal blue tang can be found throughout theIndo-Pacific.It is seen in the reefs of thePhilippines,Indonesia,Japan,theGreat Barrier Reefof Australia,New Caledonia,Samoa,East Africa,andSri Lanka.[6][2]A single specimen was photographed in 2015 in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel.[7]
The regal blue tang is one of the most common and most popular marine aquarium fish all over the world. They live in pairs or small groups of 8 to 14 individuals. They can also be found near cauliflower corals on the seaweed side of coral reefs.
The regal blue tang is ranked LC (least concern) by theWorld Conservation Union(IUCN), but is of low vulnerability.[2]
Diet
editAs a juvenile, its diet consists primarily ofplankton.Adults areomnivorousand feed on plankton, but will also graze on algae.[8]Spawning occurs during late afternoon and evening hours. This event is indicated by a change in color from a uniform dark blue to a pale blue. The fish is important for coral health as it eatsalgaethat may otherwise choke it by overgrowth.[9]
Life cycle
editMales aggressively court female members of the school, leading to a quick upward spawning rush toward the surface of the water during which eggs and sperm are released. The eggs are small, approximately0.8 millimetres (1⁄32in) in diameter. The eggs arepelagic,each containing a single droplet of oil for flotation. The fertilized eggs hatch in twenty-four hours, revealing small, translucent larvae with silvery abdomens and rudimentary caudal spines. Once opaque, the black "palette" pattern on juveniles do not fully connect until mature. These fish reach sexual maturity at 9–12 months of age.
Importance to humans
editThe regal blue tang is of minor commercial fisheries importance; however, it is abait fish.The flesh has a strong odor and is not highly prized. This fish may causeciguaterapoisoning if consumed by humans. However, regal blue tangs are collected commercially for the aquarium trade. Handling the tang risks the chances of being badly cut by thecaudal spine.These spines, one on each of the two sides of thecaudal peduncle,the area where the tail joins the rest of the body, are extended when the fish is stressed. The quick, thrashing sideways motion of the tail can produce deep wounds that result in swelling and discoloration, posing a risk of infection. It is believed that some species ofAcanthurushave venom glands while others do not. The spines are used only as a method of protection against aggressors.[10]
Conservation
editThe species is classified asLeast concernby theIUCN,however, it is threatened byoverexploitation(mostly for the aquarium trade) and destructive fishing practices. Since it is dependent on fragile coral reef habitats,habitat destructionalso constitutes pressure in parts of its range.[1]In an endeavor to mitigate the destruction of natural regal blue tang populations, efforts have been made to breed the species in captivity. It was successfully captive-bred for the first time in 2016, after a 6-year long effort by biologist Kevin Barden of Rising Tide Conservation.[11][12]
In popular culture
editIn the 2003Disney/Pixarfilm,Finding Nemo,one of the main characters,Dory(voiced byEllen DeGeneres) is a regal blue tang suffering fromshort term memory loss.She and her parents, Jenny and Charlie (voiced byDiane KeatonandEugene Levy), appear in the 2016 Disney/Pixar film sequel,Finding Dory.[13]
References
edit- ^abMcIlwain, J.; Choat, J.H.; Abesamis, R.; et al. (2012)."Paracanthurus hepatus".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2012:e.T177972A1507676.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T177972A1507676.en.Retrieved19 November2021.
- ^abcdFroese, Rainer;Pauly, Daniel (eds.)."Paracanthurus hepatus".FishBase.March 2007 version.
- ^"Paracanthurus hepatus".Integrated Taxonomic Information System.Retrieved21 March2007.
- ^Debelius, Helmut (1993).Indian Ocean Tropical Fish Guide: Maledives [i.e. Maldives], Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Madagascar, East Africa, Seychelles, Arabian Sea, Red Sea.Aquaprint.ISBN978-3-927991-01-9.
- ^"Facts About Regal Blue Tangs".Live Science.9 July 2016.
- ^"How Will 'Finding Dory' Affect Wildlife?".National Geographic Official Facebook Featured Video.Retrieved20 June2016.
- ^Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea (Paracanthurus hepatus). 2nd Edition. 2021. 366p. CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco.https://ciesm.org/atlas/fishes_2nd_edition/Paracanthurus_hepatus.pdf
- ^"Blue Tang".Oceana.Retrieved2018-02-04.
- ^Jane L Lee (July 18, 2014)."Do You Know Where Your Aquarium Fish Come From?".National Geographic.RetrievedFebruary 15,2015.
- ^July 2016, Alina Bradford 09 (2016-07-09)."Facts About Regal Blue Tangs".livescience.com.Retrieved2021-09-04.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^"Breeding Pacific Blue Hepatus Tangs – A Short History".20 July 2016.
- ^"'Dory' Bred in Captivity for First Time ".National Geographic Society.20 July 2016. Archived fromthe originalon February 26, 2021.
- ^Weisberger, Mindy (17 June 2016)."Finding Dory's Underwater Clan in the Real World".LiveScience.Retrieved17 June2016.
External links
edit
- Photos ofParacanthuruson Sealife Collection
- "Paracanthurus hepatus".Integrated Taxonomic Information System.Retrieved18 April2006.