Pearl Tang?
 

Hey all, I was at Coral Ocean Aquarium today and was just browsing the front display where there was what looked like a kole-ish tang, but more grey/tranlucent, lots of hypopigmented spots in a linear fashion and purple rings aruond the eyes... actively grazing off the rocks... the owner told me it was a pearl tang???

JT

Just wondering JT, did you see any clams there today?
The guy said they'd have some in a while ago. Thanks

There was 1 clam in the show tank... looked like a very moderate looking deresa...

JT

O, my bad, I meant maxima clams :redface:
I saw that derasa a few weeks ago too

I've never heard of Coral Ocean Aquarium were is it?

J

It's in Vancouver on Kingsway and Boundary.

JT

wow he was open... I've only been there once when it was opened, been many times when no one was there. Pearl tang huh... a quick google search reveals, nothing useful.

Doug

Same here Doug, found a nice drumkit by Pearl called Tang...

What are the chances it's a mustard tang, Acanthurus guttatus, or gem tang, Zebrasoma gemmatum (slim to none). The sailfin tangs (Zebrasoma veliferum) come in a range of slight variations. For that matter, so does the kole tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus). Honestly it's difficult to tell. There are a few tangs that could fit your description (many of the Ctenochaetus genus in fact, including as well C. marginatus; or how about Prionurus punctatus), I would wander around on http://www.wetwebmedia.com, particularly http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ctenocha.htm and see what you find.

When in doubt, buy it and take pictures.... I did that with a coral that I still haven't ID'd 100% but I've got a good idea what it is.

Seriously, would he let you take a pic or two and post them? heck it might help him sell it.

Doug

Does it look like this?

http://www.canreef.com/photopost/dat...?9158[img]

Sorry the picture isn't that good...it wouldn't stay still.

Thanks for the help guys... it doesn't look like that pic above... it's got a body somewhat similar to a kole tang, but a bit sleeker and less vertical height from dorsal/caudal. The eye has a circumferential purple hue rather than the classic golden/yellow eye of koles... this one was in his display tank and not for sale.. he has two remotely similar looking ones in the back, but nowhere near as nice looking.. it's a more subtle beauty, not so much flashy and colorful.

JT

Wow, you actually own one of those things? That's wicked. What's it worth? I've never heard of them in Canada.

Actually, I looked on that webtv link courtesy of TeeVee and it looked somewhat like the blue-spot, Ctenochaetus binotatus, without the yellow tail in pic #1, but not as dark as that, and not as light as pic #2.

JT

Teevee,

It's a mustard tang not the gem. It's gone to Newfoundland, so would be fairly pricey compared to our coast.

Yup I know, but they're still pricey are they not? Up there with Z. rostratum?

Not quite as high as Z. rostratum, but still $$$ in relative terms.

It's gone to Nfld? I just came from being there 4 yrs! GRrrrrrrr..

LoL

JT were you at... is it Memorial? in St Johns?

Doug

U got it. MUN Med.

Nice. Does that make you a doctor or are you a resident now?

That's where my ex wife did her nursing. Small world huh.

Doug

Yep, I'm an internal medicine resident at VGH/SPH :rolleyes:
Ah, MUN's got a great nursing program Doug! Kudos to your ex-wife!

JT

yeah well she went there because her friends went, it was either that or keep working at the fish processing factory. She got into nursing school and found out she doesn't like blood... never liked emerg...lol

Doug