🐠 Lavender Tang (Acanthurus nigrofuscus)
An Olive-Brown to Lavender-Grey Body With Orange Facial Spots • A Useful Stress-Indicator Colour Change • A Subtle, Elegant Reef Grazer
 
📋 The Lavender Tang, also known as the Brown Surgeonfish or Spot-Cheeked Surgeonfish, has a subtle, attractive body ranging from olive-brown to lavender-grey, accented by fine bluish lines, orange-to-yellow spotting across the face, and blue-edged fins that come alive under quality reef lighting.
It ranges across a wide stretch of the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa through the central Pacific, including Hawaii and the Tuamotu Islands, spending much of the day actively grazing filamentous algae across hard reef surfaces, often in small aggregations. Every Lavender Tang we ship is feeding well.
It has a useful natural tell: its dorsal fin and upper back visibly lighten, sometimes turning yellow, when the fish is stressed or displaying aggression, a handy early sign for keepers to watch. It's fully reef safe when well fed on an algae-rich diet, and while generally peaceful toward unrelated species, it can be territorial toward other tangs and surgeonfish, particularly other Acanthurus species. A mature tank with established live rock helps it settle in well. It reaches up to 21cm, so plan on at least 470L.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Olive-Brown to Lavender Body: A subtle, elegant tang that shines under reef lighting
🚦 A Useful Stress-Indicator: Its dorsal fin and back lighten as an early warning sign
🌿 Fully Reef Safe: A valuable algae grazer when well fed
🍽️ Ships Feeding Well: A confident grazer from day one
💎 Uncommon in the Trade: A sought-after, infrequently available addition