Unknown Tang from Mauritius

[Devin98]

Hi Everyone,

On vacation in Mauritius and there is this killer lagoon right outside our resort full of reef fish. Today a school of these baby tangs moved in there must have been 7000-10000 of them!

There were some local kids fishing them with nets from "decoration" I did manage to convince them to release most of them but they did keep a few

Any idea on the name?

 

[Devin98]

 

[copps]

Juvenile Ctenochaetus striatus

Copps

 

[benjc]

Nice!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

John- this is NOT simply the juvenile coloration of the species, correct? Do certain adults retain that pattern?

 

[copps]

John- this is NOT simply the juvenile coloration of the species, correct? Do certain adults retain that pattern?

Yes... but only the juveniles... adults are far less striking... this species is widely distributed and very common... they've been available in this juvenile color form in the hobby from time to time from Pacific locales... coincidentally it was described with a specimen from Guam...

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

for reference

for reference

here is the adult in my aquarium.

The Kuiter/Debelius book SURGEONFISHES AND RABBITFISHES seems to indicate certain adults may retain the blue stripes. (Note cf. designation)

Adult blue stripe C. striatus is what I've been looking for...

 

[copps]

Yeah Kuiter is known to be quite the splitter... in that same book he lists the very hybrid powder blue/ goldrim tang I just posted photos of earlier today also as a cf. of leucosternon... I doubt there are adults that hold the pattern like the juvies... this is a very common fish throughout its range... often the most common surgeon... and this shows up regularly in our trade... always as juveniles though... so the evidence points to these as the same species... perhaps some populations hold their stripes longer and some adults are more vibrant than others... but with juveniles pictured above known to grow into drab adults it definitely tells something...

Nice fish by the way!

Copps

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

thanks, John

thanks, John

this explains why I've never been able to find an adult blue stripe Bristletooth

:headwally:

 

[rpjaws74]

thats to funny

 

[RyanSweatt2004]

I saw one of these tangs listed as in stock at a LFS here in Maine. Who knew it was a stolen pic. Beautiful fish though!
http://www.aquacorals.com/Pics/Livestock/Fish/Tangs/Tang-BristletoothORGSTR.jpg

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Nice!

Nice!

You are correct they didn't obtain my permission to use my photo