Help me ID this Tang

[ento-reefer]

This tang was sold to me as bristletooth sp. and looked like a Ctenochaetus truncatus when I first purchased it. It was mostly yellow with blue edging to its fins and spots on the sides near the eyes. Over the course of the past 2 months it has morphed into this coloration:





Anyone have an ID for me?

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Have you bought it already? What was it sold to you as?

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Help me ID this Tang

The first thing that comes to mind is a Striated Bristletooth tang. But I'm not a big tang guy so I will let others chime in on this one.

 

[ento-reefer]

I have had the tang since the first week in May. It really looked like the photo on Live Aquaria of a Ctenochaetus truncatus. I have been searching for photos of adult coloration and just thought someone here has surely kept this fish.

This little guy is a awesome. It never stops picking at the rocks and glass and is very mild mannered.

 

[ento-reefer]

The fin shape is wrong for the striated though the colors are close. The fish looks a very dark purple with a bluish mouth in person. My photos make it appear black.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Yeah it seems like striated would have a Lyre shaped tail which yours doesn't have. Definitely looks looks like a Ctenochaetus tang though

 

[Marshall O]

I am thinking Ctenochaetus cyanocheilus.

 

[ento-reefer]

Thanks Marshall. I do believe you are right. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information about this fish on any of the searches I did.

My particular fish seems uninterested in nori or any other dried algae I have tried. It does eat the diatoms on the glass and anything on the rocks+ mysis, pellets, and flakes. It willbe interesting to watch it grow.

 

[Marshall O]

Thanks Marshall. I do believe you are right. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information about this fish on any of the searches I did.

My particular fish seems uninterested in nori or any other dried algae I have tried. It does eat the diatoms on the glass and anything on the rocks+ mysis, pellets, and flakes. It willbe interesting to watch it grow.

Sounds just like any others in the genus actually. If you have any other fish that eat nori, it will learn to eat it.

 

[SDguy]

My particular fish seems uninterested in nori or any other dried algae I have tried. It does eat the diatoms on the glass and anything on the rocks+ mysis, pellets, and flakes. It willbe interesting to watch it grow.

Typical for bristle tooth tangs, IME.

Very neat looking fish, BTW... thanks for sharing.

 

[ento-reefer]

This is my first time keeping a tang in this genus. I like it's laid back attitude. It has formed a relationship with my melanurus wrasse following it around the tank. I am sure it benefits if the wrasse scares up prey or maybe just simply detritus which this guy seems to consume.

I think it is a beautiful fish also SDguy. Thanks for the ID help.