Can tangs move their "spurs?"

[bureau13]

A while back, I had a yellow and a purple tang who, as soon as they were introduced, fought like mad demons for three days, after which they where happy as clams until Hurricane Wilma and the associated power outages claimed them. Now, during their skirmishes, I swear I remember the purple tang's tail spikes sticking out to the side in a way they never did before. However, in a passing conversation, I was just told that they can't move or retract, and that they're often clipped prior to shipping. Is this true, and I just remembered it wrong?

jds

 

[thor32766]

No, look at yellows in the store you can see it vividly. Its their weapon of defense. they can open them and put them back. just like a f-14 putting his wings out and retracting them. I have never heard of them clipping them, to me that would end up killing them. I dont know you have ever seen a tang or another fish that fought with a tang, they will have stracth marks on them every once in awhile.

 

[Amphiprion]

It wouldn't kill them, as it is a modified scale. I can't say that it would be good for them, however. It is attached to a muscle at the base on the caudal peduncle and is capable of extending forward.

 

[bureau13]

Good to know, I'm glad my eyes didn't deceive me.

One interesting thing, I have a desjardinii sailfin who took exception to the addition of a blue hippo tang...but I haven't seen him extend the spikes. He tail swipes him all the time with his spikes in. Maybe those are love swats

jds

 

[stykthyn]

doubt they are love swats, prolly just didnt extend the spines

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

Most of the tangs can flip the spine in and out but in some species like naso's they are fixed and cant move. I've heard about wholesalers and collectors clipping the spines as well, what a terrible idea.

 

[Tremelle]

Naso will normally have their spines clipped to keep from poking holes in the bag during transportation. If you find a small juvi naso, they will still have their spines. I have a blonde naso that is about 4.5" now with beautiful spines. I got it as a juvi.

 

[Kent E]

clipping the spines makes sense to me. Do they grow back?

 

[SerranidTerror]

Actually not all acanthurids can retract their spines. Some like the naso tang have them out all the time. These spines (retractable or not) are scales that over the ages have been modified into spines. I remember eating a naso tang before and the "spine" was best described as a flat disc with a nasty spur coming off it- a non-retractable one. On the other hand I carry two retractable spines in my wallet that I pulled off a huge Palani tang I shot during a spearfishing outting in Hawaii. The spines look more like teeth than anything else and thats what people guess they are when I show them off.

 

[daytonians]

A Blue Tang can definately put them out. I got stuck by a big one, and it hurt like hell.

 

[Asuran]

eating a naso? :eek2:

so what is their meat texture like? (not that i'm gonna take my naso out of my tank and fry him up)

but back on topic... i noticed on my sailfin when i added a powderblue 6 months ago they fought with the sailfin being doubled the PBT size but I noticed that the razor near the tail on the sailfin looked like it was becoming detached? (the whole disc) but it looks fine now.... is that beacuse it is retracted now?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7442076#post7442076 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by SerranidTerror
Actually not all acanthurids can retract their spines. Some like the naso tang have them out all the time. These spines (retractable or not) are scales that over the ages have been modified into spines. I remember eating a naso tang before and the "spine" was best described as a flat disc with a nasty spur coming off it- a non-retractable one. On the other hand I carry two retractable spines in my wallet that I pulled off a huge Palani tang I shot during a spearfishing outting in Hawaii. The spines look more like teeth than anything else and thats what people guess they are when I show them off.

 

[jus10kase]

Do they "jingle,jangle,jingle"?

 

[Kent E]

:lol: