Whitecheek Tang

1 Breed Introduction

Also called the Clown Tang or Gold-rim Tang, the Whitecheek Tang has a purple-blue body and a blue tail with yellow stripes, making it very attractive. Its care is moderately difficult and not for beginners; a tank of at least 300 liters is required.

Chinese name: Whitecheek Tang

Foreign name: Whitecheek Tang

Care difficulty: Moderate

Temperament: Peaceful

Max adult size in tank: 17 cm

Coral compatibility: Safe

2 Physical Characteristics

The Whitecheek Tang has a purple-blue body and a blue tail with yellow stripes; its coloration is vivid and eye-catching in the aquarium. It is mainly distributed in the coral reefs of the eastern Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Dorsal spines: 9; dorsal soft rays: 28 to 31; anal spines: 3; anal soft rays: 26 to 28.

Adults are oval and laterally compressed, with a small head whose upper profile is not especially convex. The mouth is small and terminal; each jaw has a row of flat, fixed teeth with notched edges. The dorsal and anal spines are sharp and rays not extended; pectorals nearly triangular; caudal nearly truncate or concave. The body is purple-blue; below the eye is a white mottle that does not slant down to the upper jaw, and the snout has a crescent white spot. The dorsal and anal fins are dark brown with a yellow stripe at the base that thickens rearward and a light-blue edge; the caudal is pale gray-white with an inner yellow vertical band and light-blue edge; the pectoral base is black, the rest gray-black with a light-blue upper edge; the pelvic fins are black with light-blue edges; the groove of the caudal peduncle spine is dark brown but the spine is yellow. At about 5.5 to 6 cm the juvenile’s body begins to elongate. It resembles the Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus japonicus), but that species has a broad white diagonal band on the head and an orange band at the end of the dorsal fin.

3 Housing and Environment

The Whitecheek Tang is not hard to keep, but water quality still matters; recommended pH 8.1 to 8.4 and temperature 21 to 29 C.

At about 5.5 to 6 cm the juvenile’s body begins to elongate. The minimum tank size is 300 liters to give enough swimming room. Recommended specific gravity 1.020 to 1.025. It is peaceable and friendly to other species but aggressive toward its own kind.

4 Feeding

The Whitecheek Tang is herbivorous. Its care is moderately difficult, so feeding must not be neglected. How to give it balanced nutrition? Let us tell you.

The Whitecheek Tang feeds on filamentous algae. Although tangs, like other fish, can take animal foods, they need enough seaweed and algae-based vegetable food, which boosts immunity, reduces aggression, and improves overall health. You can tie dried seaweed to a rock and feed three times daily, or use prepared herbivore pellets for convenience.