Blue Tang

Habitat

Blue tang, found in the surgeonfish family, inhabit the areas amongst the coastal waterways and inshore rocky regions as well as coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. They will rest and escape predators in the coral and rocky crevices of the ocean.

Predator Protection

Newly hatched Blue tang are yellow with blue spots around the eyes. As they mature into adulthood, they transform into a vibrant blue with only two spots of yellow on the fins and tail. A unique body adaptation is a scalpel-like spine along the top of their body along with a venomous spine at the base of the caudal fin. These spines aid in protecting this fish from predators. They will also lay on their side and “play dead” when predators pass them by and only move once danger has passed.