Blue tang is the common name of several species of surgeonfish.
These include:
Acanthuridae are the family of surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicornfishes. The family includes about 86 extant species of marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs. Many of the species are brightly colored and popular in aquaria.
Acanthurus is a genus of fish in the family Acanthuridae found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean. They are found in tropical oceans, especially near coral reefs, with most species in the Indo-Pacific but a few are found in the Atlantic Ocean. As other members of the family, they have a pair of spines, one on either side of the base of the tail which are dangerously sharp.
Acanthurus triostegus, also known as the convict tang, convict surgeonfish, or manini, is a small surgeonfish in family Acanthuridae of the order Perciformes. It is typically about 17 cm (7 in) long, but some individuals may reach 27 cm. These tangs are widespread. They are found in the Indo-Pacific except for seas around the Arabian Peninsula, in the Pacific at the Hawaiian Islands, and in the Eastern Pacific they are found in the lower Gulf of California and down to Panama, including the Revillagigedo Islands, Clipperton Island, Cocos Island, and Galápagos Islands with some reports throughout the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea most likely entering through the Suez Canal.
Paracanthurus hepatus is a species of Indo-Pacific surgeonfish. A popular fish in marine aquaria, it is the only member of the genus Paracanthurus. A number of common names are attributed to the species, including regal tang, palette surgeonfish, blue tang, royal blue tang, hippo tang, blue hippo tang, flagtail surgeonfish, Pacific regal blue tang, and blue surgeonfish.
Acanthurus achilles, commonly known as Achilles tang or Achilles surgeonfish, is a tropical marine fish native to the Pacific Ocean.
Acanthurus leucosternon is a marine tropical fish belonging to the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae. Its common names are powder blue tang and powder-blue surgeonfish.
Acanthurus coeruleus is a surgeonfish found commonly in the Atlantic Ocean. It can grow up to 39 centimetres (15 in) long. Common names include Atlantic blue tang, blue barber, blue doctor, blue doctorfish, blue tang, blue tang surgeonfish, yellow barber, and yellow doctorfish.
The ocean surgeon or ocean surgeonfish is a tropical fish known to live in reefs in the western Atlantic Ocean, especially the Caribbean Sea. It is sometimes marketed fresh as a food item, but the Ocean surgeon is more often used as bait, or in tropical saltwater aquaria.
Acanthurus mata is a marine tropical fish belonging to the family of the Acanthuridae or surgeonfishes. Its common names are elongate surgeonfish and blue-lined surgeonfish.
Acanthurus olivaceus, also known as the orange-band surgeonfish, the orange-shoulder surgeonfish or the orangebar tang, is a member of the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes. It lives in the tropical waters of the Indo-west Pacific.
Acanthurus pyroferus is a species of fish in the family Acanthuridae, the unicornfishes and tangs. Its common names include chocolate surgeonfish, mimic surgeonfish, orange-gilled surgeonfish, Pacific mimic surgeon, and yellowspot surgeon.
Acanthurus lineatus, the lined surgeonfish, is a member of the family Acanthuridae, the surgeonfishes. Other common names include blue banded surgeonfish, blue-lined surgeonfish, clown surgeonfish, pyjama tang, striped surgeonfish, and zebra surgeonfish.
Acanthurus dussumieri, commonly known as Dussumier's surgeonfish, the eye-stripe surgeonfish or the ornate surgeonfish, is a ray-finned fish from the Indo-Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a maximum length of 54 cm (21 in) but 35 cm (14 in) is a more usual size.
Acanthurus japonicus is a tang from the Indo-West Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 21 cm in length. It is also known as Japan surgeonfish, white-faced surgeonfish, gold rim tang, powder brown tang and white-nose surgeonfish.
The doubleband surgeonfish or lieutenant tang, is a marine ray-finned fish in the family Acanthuridae. It is found in the tropical and sub-tropical Indo-Pacific region and grows to a maximum length of 31 cm (12 in).
Acanthurus guttatus is a marine reef tang in the fish family Acanthuridae. It is found in shallow waters on reefs in the Indo-Pacific.
Acanthurus nigricauda, the epaulette surgeonfish, black-barred surgeonfish, eye-line surgeonfish, shoulderbar surgeonfish, white-tail surgeonfish or blackstreak surgeonfish, is a tropical fish in the family Acanthuridae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific region.
Acanthurus polyzona, commonly known as the black-barred surgeonfish or zebra tang, is a tropical fish found in coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean. It was first described in 1868 by the Dutch ichthyologist Pieter Bleeker, who gave it the name Rhombotides polyzona; it was later transferred to the genus Acanthurus, becoming Acanthurus polyzona.
Acanthurus thompsoni is a tropical fish found in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is commonly known as the Thompson's surgeonfish. It is commercial in aquarium use.