Surgeonfish

Aberrant Ctenochaetus binotatus shows up with patchy skin coloration

Another surgeonfish has been collected in the wild with the strange piebald coloration that seems to be pretty common in wild surgeonfish and now we’re really getting anxious to know what this condition is, or what causes it. The genus Ctenochaetus is…

Fisheye view of my saltwater fish only aquarium

Ask anyone in this hobby about me, and nearly all will tell you that I range from an insatiable coral junkie to a laid back coral connoisseur. One little known secret is that while I hardly keep any fish in my…

There’s something fishy with some of the Clown Tangs of the Seychelles

Part of the excitement about being a fancier of marine life is the ability to follow leads of curiosity, no matter how improbable the odds of success in finding something meaningful, even when you don’t really know what you are…

Casper the white tang has undergone a radical transformation

Casper the world-famous all-white yellow tang is quickly becoming the best documented specimen of a surgeonfish in aquariums, or in the wild. From humble beginnings in mid-2010, the little blanched Zebrasoma flavescens first gained notoriety as one of the crowning animals…

Mimic lemon peel surgeonfish found off Florida coast

Another Indo-Pacific fish species has been recently discovered off the shores of Florida. Two women diving near West Palm Beach saw a fish they never saw before and had the inking it didn’t belong. They snapped photos and reported it…

HLLE and the Activated Carbon Connection

Many different factors have been considered as possible causes of the disease known as Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE)—a condition that typically causes disfiguring tissue erosion on the head and along the sensory lateral line of certain marine fishes.…

Huge spawning fish swarms in Palau really are Unique Dive Expeditions

The internet is full of superlatives related to all kinds of topics but we’re planting a flag in this virtual ground, and stating outright that these videos of mass spawning aggregations from Unique Dive Expeditions are some of the most…

When Should Squabbling Marine Fish Be Separated?

I recently introduced a Kole tang to my tank, and it keeps getting in fights with the resident yellow tang. So far, neither one has been seriously hurt, but I’m worried about where this is heading. Do I need to…

The Sohal Tang: A Big, Belligerent Beauty

The sohal tang (Acanthurus sohal) is one of many fish species available in the marine aquarium trade that should come with a warning label. It’s a gorgeous fish and generally very hardy, which is a plus, but anyone contemplating purchasing…

Gem tang hybrid could be the rarest surgeonfish ever

If you thought a gem tang was rare, just wait until you get a good look at this very unique surgeonfish just captured in Mauritius. At first glance the little Zebrasoma looks like a scopas tang, Zebrasoma scopas, but upon further inspection this…