All fish / Acanthuridae

Orangeband Surgeonfish

Acanthurus olivaceus

Also known as orange shoulder tang, orangeshoulder surgeonfish, orange-band surgeonfish, olive surgeonfish, orange epaulette surgeonfish, orangeband tang, モンツキハギ, 橙斑刺尾鱼, 一字刺尾鲷

Adults are olive grey to dark brown with a bright orange bar, edged in dark blue, running behind the eye, and a lyre-shaped tail. Juveniles are plain yellow and change colour as they grow. It is kept for its striking shoulder mark and because it grazes algae and film off sand and rock, making it a useful fish in large reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

1000 litres

Keep as

Singly, or one per tank alongside unrelated tangs

Diet

Herbivore: algae grazer that sifts sand for diatoms and detritus; offer nori, spirulina and herbivore pellets, plus some mysis

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from Christmas Island and the Philippines to Hawaii, French Polynesia and southern Japan

Breeding

In the wild it spawns in groups and releases floating eggs into open water, and the larvae spend a long time drifting in the plankton. It has not been bred in home aquariums, so nearly all fish on sale are caught in the wild.

Good to know

It grows to around 30 cm and needs a very long tank with lots of swimming room. Like other tangs it has sharp scalpel-like spines near the tail and may fight with other surgeonfish, so it is prone to white spot when stressed.