Surgeon Fish

The first question to answer is what is the difference between surgeonfish and a tang? Well, the answer is that there is no difference; some of the fish in the group are invariably known as tangs, such as the regal tang, while others are known as surgeons, such as the clown surgeon, and a few are known by both names, e.g. the achilles tang or achilles surgeon. Here, we use both names, with no biological difference intended.

Surgeons are so-called because of their 'scalpels', the two sharp bony points on either side of the body at the base of the tail fin. The scalpels can give a nasty cut to a clumsy human, but are very rarely used on other fish. Perhaps being wise to the dangers, other fish are not stupid enough to tangle with the surgeons or indeed with the tangs, which also have these weapons.

Tangs and surgeons are magnificent fish, sporting the boldest and brightest markings. They are a good size, they grow steadily, they are relatively hardy, they cause very few problems with other fish and the yare easy to feed. They are safe with tiny and large fish alike, and the yare ideal inhabitants for an invertebrate tank.