Palette surgeonfish - Paracanthurus hepatus

Species Name: Paracanthurus hepatus

Synonym: Paracanthurus hepatus, Acanthurus hepatus, Teuthis hepatus, Paracanthurus theuthis, Acanthurus theuthis

Common Names: Palette surgeonfish, Blue Hippo Tang, Regal Blue Tang

Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicorn fishes)

Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)

Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)

Max. Size: 31.0 cm / 12.2 inches

Environment: Marine reef

Origin: Western Central, Eastern Central, Northwest, Southwest Pacific
Western and Eastern Indian Ocean

Temperament: Harmless

Company: It is not advisable to keep Paracanthurus hepatus (Palette surgeonfish) in the same aquarium as triggers, angelfish and larger basses.

Aquarium Setup: Paracanthurus hepatus (Palette surgeonfish) should be given lots of room, ideally hundreds of gallons. They need walls of rock and/or coral skeletons to shelter among. Palette surgeonfish likes turbulent water movements and high oxygen levels. A good protein skimmer is advisable.

Food: Paracanthurus hepatus (Palette surgeonfish) feed mainly on zooplankton in the wild; benthic and planktivorous invertebrates and attached algae. The aquarium diet should be varied and include som greens every day.

Breeding: We do not have any information about the breeding of Paracanthurus hepatus (Palette surgeonfish) in aquariums.

Palette surgeonfish – Paracanthurus hepatus. Copyright www.jjphoto.dk