Barber Surgeonfish

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Western Central and South Atlantic: Brazil and oceanic islands like Ascension and Saint Helena. Found on shallow rocky reefs and coral zones.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Acanthuridae. Can grow up to 35 cm. Compressed oval body with a sharp, venomous, retractable spine at the tail base.

Social Behavior: Highly active, constantly swimming. Strongly territorial against other tangs, particularly similarly shaped Acanthurus species.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Olive-brown to sandy grey body with a dark tail bordered by light margins, and blue/yellow markings around the eyes. Genders look identical.

Aquarium Setup: Minimum 1000 liters. Requires a massive tank with extensive open swimming channels. Stable rockwork with lots of algae growth is needed.

Diet and Feeding: Herbivore. Needs a high-fiber diet. Provide dried seaweed (nori), spirulina-based pellets, and fresh macroalgae multiple times daily.

Water Quality: Keep temperature at 22-27°C, pH 8.1-8.4, salinity 1.020-1.025 SG. Requires highly oxygenated water with strong, constant water current.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Aggressive towards other surgeonfish. Best kept as the only tang in the tank. Totally reef safe; will not harm corals.

Aquarium Reproduction: Group broadcast spawner. Large spawning aggregations occur in the wild. Larvae are pelagic and have not been reared in captivity.

Risks and Diseases: Highly susceptible to marine ich and skin parasites; UV sterilizer is recommended. caudle spines can cause deep cuts during handling.