All fish / Acanthuridae

Powder Blue Tang

Acanthurus leucosternon

Also known as powder blue surgeonfish, powderblue tang, powder blue, powder-blue surgeonfish, white-breasted surgeonfish, pbt, ナミダクロハギ, パウダーブルー・タン, 粉蓝倒吊, 粉蓝吊

This is a bright powder blue surgeonfish with a black face, a white throat, a yellow dorsal fin and a yellow spine near the tail. It is one of the most eye-catching reef fish and grazes nuisance algae, so it is popular in large reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly; only add other tangs in very large systems

Diet

Herbivore: marine algae, nori, spirulina-based foods, with some mysis and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indian Ocean: East Africa, Maldives, Sri Lanka to Andaman Sea and western Indonesia

Breeding

In the wild it spawns in groups, releasing eggs into open water, and the larvae drift for a long time. It has not been bred in home aquariums, so almost all specimens are wild caught.

Good to know

It is very prone to marine white spot and velvet, so quarantine is essential, and it is often aggressive towards other tangs, especially similar shapes. It needs a long tank with strong flow and plenty of swimming room.