During the last 20 years, Pixar has created among the world’s most memorable animated characters, together with Woody the toy, Lightning McQueen the race automobile, and Dory from Discovering Nemo. Dory is a blue tang or Paracanthurus hepatus, and on this article, we’ll let you know every thing you want to learn about this fascinating fish.
What Are Blue Tangs?
Often known as regal tang, palette surgeonfish, hippo tang, and flagtail surgeonfish, blue tangs are a species of Indo-Pacific surgeonfish.
As its identify suggests, a blue tang is predominantly royal blue in colour, although it additionally has a fantastically vibrant yellow tail and a definite black “palette design.” They will develop to 12 inches, with grownup fish usually weighing round 21 ounces.
Similar to Dory, blue tangs are flat—like a pancake—in form and have a pointed nostril. Not like Dory, nevertheless, blue tangs don’t undergo from short-term reminiscence loss. Like most aquarium fish, they’ll study to acknowledge their caretakers.
The place Do Blue Tangs Reside?
Blue tangs stay within the crystalline waters surrounding coral reefs. They inhabit a big space throughout the tropical waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They will generally be discovered alongside the coast of southeast Asia, together with Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, and within the Nice Barrier Reef in Australia.
Are Blue Tangs Going Extinct?
The Worldwide Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists blue tang as a species of least concern, in order that they aren’t at speedy threat. Nonetheless, these lovely fish are in excessive demand by the aquarium commerce, and, till not too long ago, they may not be bred in captivity. Consequently, all of the fish bought to aquarium hobbyists have been taken from the ocean.
How Lengthy Does a Fish Like Dory Reside?
Blue tang can stay for as much as 30 years within the wild, offered they aren’t caught! In captivity, nevertheless, these fish don’t survive as lengthy. Most aquarium-bound blue tang stay for round 8–12 years, although they’ll stay for as much as 20 years.
Do Dory Fish Make Good Pets?
Although they appear lovely in a saltwater tank, blue tangs require numerous work. They want massive, advanced saltwater tanks. Moreover, they’ve lengthy lifespans, which most individuals don’t search for in pet fish. If sorted correctly, they’ll stay as much as 20 years, which is longer than the typical lifespan of a canine.
Along with excessive upkeep, blue tangs are sourced from the ocean for the aquarium commerce utilizing cyanide fishing, which many conservation organizations fear has a detrimental influence on coral reefs and different tropical fish.
How Huge Ought to a Blue Tang Tank Be?
Blue tangs can develop to be round 12 inches in size. Moreover, this can be a extremely lively fish that enjoys swimming round and grazing on stay rocks. Assuming you’ve solely received one, you’d want, on the very least, a 100-gallon tank.
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Dory the forgetful fish is a blue tang, a lovely saltwater fish inhabiting the tropical waters round coral reefs within the Indian and Pacific oceans. They’re extremely wanted within the aquarium commerce and are normally sourced by means of cyanide fishing, a follow that’s dangerous and harmful to coral reefs and marine life. As fairly as they could look in a tank, these fish are at their finest within the wild, the place they are often left to swim in massive, beautiful shoals!
Featured Picture Credit score: Vladimir Wrangel, Shutterstock
