Chevron Tang

Care at a glance

Overview

This tang is mostly peaceful with other fish and less pushy than many surgeonfish, though it still won't tolerate other tangs sharing the tank. It's reef safe and spends its day combing rock and substrate for algae, so a tank with mature live rock suits it well. Marine algae should still make up most of the diet even though it grazes constantly, since grazing alone rarely covers a bristletooth's nutritional needs in captivity.

In the wild

Chevron tangs live on reefs across Micronesia and the central Pacific, most commonly collected around the Hawaiian Islands, where they graze algae and detritus off rock and rubble. Most of the supply in the trade comes from Hawaiian collection, which keeps availability tight. It needs at least 680 litres (180 US gal) with mature live rock to work over.

Good to know

Ctenochaetus hawaiiensis is a bristletooth tang, named for the fine, comb-like teeth it uses to sift algae film and detritus from rock surfaces rather than biting off whole strands the way an Acanthurus does. Juveniles are bright orange with violet lines; as they mature the body darkens to an olive brown covered in fine orange-brown striping, which is where the chevron pattern in the name comes from.

Did you know

Because wild supply is limited to Hawaiian collection, prices for chevron tangs swing widely from one batch to the next, and healthy adults can be one of the more expensive tangs in the hobby.

Related species

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  Kole Tang

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  7.1 in (18 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Tomini Tang

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• 

  Mimic Tang

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• 

  Blue Hippo Tang

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• 

  Sailfin Tang

  Zebrasoma veliferum

  11.8 in (30 cm)145 gal (550 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Purple Tang

  Zebrasoma xanthurum

  9.8 in (25 cm)106 gal (400 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)