Whitefaced Tang
Whitefaced Tang, Acanthurus nigrofuscus, comes from Hawaii and is an active, algae-grazing fish. As a juvenile, it has a lavender-tan body. As an adult, the body color deepens. Gold-orange highlights will appear on the fins of some specimens. White or gray spotting may appear around the nose and gill areas, thus earning this fish another of common names, the Spotcheek Tang. Also know as the Brown Surgeon or the Lavender Tang, this fish does vary a great deal in coloration, both between specimens and between identical fish of different ages. Requiring a great deal of swimming room and well-oxygenated water, this fish can grow to more than a foot and a half in the wild. In the home aquarium, a six to nine inch maximum could be expected, depending on aquarium size. Generally peaceful, the Whitefaced Tang does fine singly or in groups. If it is being introduced with other Tangs, it is best to introduce this one simultaneously or at a size larger than existing Tangs. As a typical Tang herbivore, it feeds on most any type of algae and requires a great deal of vegetable matter in its diet. Seaweed sheets and spirulina should be fed in the home aquarium, and feedings must be multiple times daily to maintain the health of this active aquarium addition.
Approximate Arrival Size for Whitefaced Tang: Small: 1 to 2 in.; Medium: 2.5 to 3.5 in.; Large: 4 to 5 in.
Detailed Information about this animal.
