Regal blue tang, blue hippo tang, Paracnathurus hepatus, or Dory, whatever you call them we can all agree this fish is supposed to be blue. As it turns out not all blue or hippo tangs get that memo and once in a while an individual decides it’s going to sport more black than it’s brothers and sisters.
This black hippo tang is not the first but definitely one of the best examples of a Paracanthurus hepatus displaying an advanced degree of melanism with a nearly all-black body color. This specimen has bllue only in a narrow oval on both sides and a hint of it left on the anal fin, with the bright yellow tail still standard-issue.
This rare black blue regal tang is still young and malleable so there’s always the possibility that this fish will eventually take off his black mask. However we hope the fish retains most if not all of its very unusual coloration at its new home at Professional Fish Keepers in Coral Springs, Florida.
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