Mimic tang ID

[piusma]

Just wanted to get a second opinion that this is a regular chocolate tang with a different morph? It's only 2 inches long atm but seems to have close to adult coloration. Could any expert voice their opinion on this mimic tang?
Thank you.
Steven

 

[anbosu]

Looks like it is a changing half black mimic. I bought mine at about that size and it looked pretty similar.

 

[Moort82]

That's what i would have guessed as well. I'm surprised to see it on such a small one if it is as the ones i have seen have still been good mimics of the angel at much larger sizes.

This one for instance was nearer to 4" and just starting to show signs of the change

 

[piusma]

Funny thing is I can't see any blue on her tail. I'm going to be really excited if it's a half black mimic.

 

[jaa1456]

Doesn't look like a half black, Most half blacks I have ever seen are laready changing at 2"s and some changed all the way.

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

Looks like it is a changing half black mimic.

+1 The blue stripe on the tail usually indicates a lemonpeel mimic, the first pic in this thread really looks like a half black mimic.

 

[copps]

Both the half black mimic tang and lemonpeel mimic tang are actually the same species... Acanthurus pyroferous... the half black mimic tang has been erroneously referred to as Acanthurs chronixis for years, but they are the same species. Here's the kicker though... A. pyroferous mimics whatever species of Centropyge is in its range, and in the Marshall Islands where the half black/lemonpeel hybrid is VERY common, A. pyroferous actually mimics the hybrid! A. pyroferous also mimics the yellow angel Centropyge heraldi...

 

[Moort82]

The photo i posted is definately of a half black mimic. The photo does make the blue on it's tail stand out but it's still at the lfs and looks almost identicle to the vroloki angels they also have now that it's settled in and got its colour back.
It's is completely different from the lemonpeel mimics they have had in previously.

The first pic looks to me very much like a half black in transition but i guess it doesn't matter to much when it reaches adult colour, what it was copying. Whatever way you look at it it's still a great fish.

 

[jarrod13]

A little off topic but do all mimics end up looking like a chocolate tang?

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

Adult mimics are all over the place in their final coloration and I have seen very dark brown fish, greyish fish, and yellowish fish in adult trim and most develop the greenish/blueish tint of the dorsal and anal fins. I know the tristis mimic (Eibl's mimic) looks different from the typical pyroferus and IMO isnt as pretty as the pyroferus in adult form.

Acanthurus pyroferous... the half black mimic tang has been erroneously referred to as Acanthurs chronixis for years, but they are the same species.

I had a conversation years ago with Bob Fenner and I was under the impression that chronixis was a valid species and that both the pyroferus and chronixis both mimic the half-black dwarf angel. Everything I have read or been told was that there are three valid mimic tang species, the tristis (eibl's angel mimic), the chronixis (half-black angel mimic) and the pyroferus (half-black, lemonpeel, and Herald's angel mimic). I am also facinated by all of the color forms of the pyroferus, both in the juvie and adult color form.

I have a Herald's mimic pyroferus and I love the fish, he was solid yellow as a juvie and appears to have kept most of the yellow as an adult. He hasn't changed his appearance in several years so I wonder what he will ultimately look like.