What tang is this?

[fishfreak2009]

My LFS got this tang in a few weeks ago and I am considering picking it up. If it outgrows my 187 gallon (5'x2'x30") then I could always turn my 180 (6'x2'x2') into a saltwater tank as well.



So what is it?

 

[Soccernut5824]

umm hard to tell from the picture..

 

[fishfreak2009]

I fixed the picture now, is it easier to see?

 

[Soccernut5824]

looks like a orange striped bristletooth just lacking perfect color. the body shape matches. search this in google.. Ctenochaetus cf. striatus

 

[fishfreak2009]

I think it's an Acanthurus species, not from the Ctenochaetus genus.

Is it a juvenile Acanthurus fowleri?

 

[falconut]

Yeah, I don't think it's a bristletooth. The mouth just doesn't look like it. But, I'm certainly not a tang expert.

 

[Monkeyfish]

Acanthurus bariene?

 

[Moort82]

My first thought is a young Acanthurus blochii

 

[evsalty]

Could it be a juv Lavender tang? Acanthurus nigrofuscus

 

[SDguy]

I'm thinking bariene.

 

[evsalty]

I'm thinking bariene.

I had hard time finding this pic but if it is truely a juv bariene in this pic then we might just have a winner.

This guy has a verticle yellow bar behind the eye and gill that can almost be made out in the OP's fish. It is missing in my top pic above. Then there is an orange bar that runs the length of the bottom fin in this pic and it too can be slightly seen in the OP's fish.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Another LFS that doesn't know what kind of fish they're selling. I wonder why the good online dealers are doing so well?

 

[SDguy]

Another LFS that doesn't know what kind of fish they're selling. I wonder why the good online dealers are doing so well?

In their defense, I have to admit, he whole bariene, dussumieri, blochii, etc type Acanthurus species are a PITA to differentiate when small. That said, they all get huge, so not sure it matters....

 

[Recty]

Could it be a juv Lavender tang? Acanthurus nigrofuscus

Just an FYI, you said lavender tang but you posted pictures of two different fish...

First fish is a A. dussumieri, second picture is of a lavender tang.

 

[fishfreak2009]

So I went in today and the label said Bariene Tang. They apparently just forgot to label the tank before.

I think I might go pick it up, but I need to do a water change first.

 

[bullitr]

That thing will be massive
I had a 15" dussumieri before its very docile but it's too big for my old 300

 

[fish042099]

If bullitr is right than hope you can house a 15" tang.

 

[fishfreak2009]

I'm really not too worried about size. Back when I was keeping freshwater stingrays, the parents were ready to let me build an indoor pond, so I don't see why it would be any different now. If that doesn't work out, I'm pretty good friends with the pet store owner and he could live in the 1000 gallon display reef tank at the store. It has some hippos, a vlamingi, a unicorn, 2 nasos, a bunch of yellows and purples, even a desjardini.

 

[fishfreak2009]

Another LFS that doesn't know what kind of fish they're selling. I wonder why the good online dealers are doing so well?

I don't buy fish online, and I know many others don't either. While the fish might have a guarantee, I don't get to see what I'm buying, and shipping just isn't worth it. If I went for the $225 on liveaquaria, that would be alot of fish to quarantine, and this tang is only $50 at the LFS, versus $70 online.

 

[jaa1456]

I think your LFS is wrong that it is a Bariene tang. I had 2 a different times and neither looked like that and both had the black spot behind the gills. Got both from roughly an 1" and just got rid of the 2nd one as it outgrew my tank after it got about 8"s. The first one I lost in a power outage but it was roughly 10"s and neither had lines on the body and both had the black spot behind the eyes.