powder browns

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Quoted from the Marine Center website:

Latin Name: Acanthurus japonicus. Common Name: Powder Brown Tang. Also known as Powder Brown Tang, Goldrim Surgeonfish, Japanese Surgeonfish



Quoted from Wetwebmedia website:

Acanthurus (glaucopareius) nigricans (Linnaeus 1958), the Powder Brown or Gold-Rimmed Surgeon (and Whitecheek Surgeon to science), Cat Tang in Hawai'i.... The corrected scientific name of this species is A. nigricans (per Randall, 1988); a revision no doubt as unpopular to some as my labeling the species as "bad". The very similar A. japonicus is a far better aquarium fish; A. nigricans rarely lives for more than a few months in captivity, often, oh joy, bringing in parasitic Protozoan disease to take the rest of your fish livestock with them.

From my own & other reefer friends' experiences, the A. japonicus (with the bigger white markings) survives better.

Also, I've known several reefers (including those who posted their experience here on Canreef) who had the same fish for a over a year without adding anything new & no sign of ick, but when the fish were stressed (ie. heater died, power outage), their fish came down with ick despite 2 or 3 years without any ick present.

I find that ick-magnet fish like Powder browns, Powder blues & Porcupine puffers are easily stressed & so when something new happens, like a new fish is added, they are the first to have a few white specks appear.

Anthony

[conix67]

From the same site under "A. Japonicus" -

The powder brown is similar to the Gold Rim Tang (Acanthurus nigricans).

under A. Nigricans

Gold Rim Tang, Powder Gray Surgeonfish, Whitecheek Surgeonfish

The Gold Rim Tang is less frequently available than the similar Powder Brown Tang.

So the information presented is a little inconsistent but my pocket guide by Scott W. Michael - Marine Fishes - ISBN 978-1-8900-8738-8 clearly states A. Japonicus as Power Brown and A. Nigricans as Whitecheek.

The easy of care rating at www.themarinecenter.com for A. Nigiricans is higher than A. Japonicus.

From the animal-world.com

When purchasing this tang, you will want to be sure you are getting the correct species. Both the White-faced Surgeonfish and the Gold-rimmed Tang (Whitecheek Surgeonfish) A. nigricans are regularly sold as the 'Powder Brown Tang'. Though they look very similar the White-faced Surgeonfish will show a pronounced "white-face" along with its red stripe on the dorsal fin, these markings will be lacking on the other. Also the White-faced Surgeonfish is a relatively hardy aquarium inhabitant once acclimated while its almost 'look-alike' cousin is more difficult to sustain in captivity.


http://animal-world.com/encyclo/mari.../japonicus.php

The wet-web media site description is a little different from the rest..

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/GoldRimSs.htm

But between two, A. Japonicus has a lot more brown in color, and if it fares better than A. Nigricans, I can't really complain about it, as I like A. Nigricans better and that's what I consider a Powder Brown tang

[SeaHorse_Fanatic]

Yeah, there is a lot of confusion surrounding these two similar species.

I personally prefer the A. japonicus, so that works for me too

Cheers.

BTW, to the OP, for a 75g, a Kole tang or other bristlemouth tang would probably be a better choice anyways.

Anthony

[conix67]

Correction - I like A. Japonicus better.. they are both pretty though