For the last several weeks now we’ve been hearing reports that there has been a spike in the availability of gem tangs. One international marine fish wholesaler after another have confirmed receiving ten or more Zebrasoma gemmatum, with the UK’s Tropical Marine Centre being the first to flaunt such a bumper crop of gem tangs with a picture.
Noted Aquacapist and photographer George Farmer snapped this picture of a dozen gem tangs at UK’s Tropical Marine Centre shoring up the reports that there seems to have been the discovery of a vein of the coveted surgeonfish. These aren’t the supreme exotic gem tangs from Mauritius, this time it appears there’s been a good haul from both Kenya or Madagascar, but don’t go thinking that the price will be much affected.
There’s still a huge global demand for the “Holy Grail” of tangs and a few dozen gem tangs at mostly European marine life distributors won’t do that much to bring down the cost. It’s too soon to tell whether the current increase in the gem tang supply is a seasonal bumper crop or if a true honey spot has been found, but it does bolster the argument that the zebra tang is truly the rarest aquarium tang and the real collector’s Holy Grail of surgeonfish.
