Tomini tang

The Tomini tang is a surgeonfish of the family Acanthuridae, native to the western Pacific, particularly around Indonesia and the Coral Triangle. It has a brownish body that becomes speckled with blue toward the face, with yellow highlights along the dorsal and anal fins, and stays smaller than many tangs. It is a bristletooth tang that grazes on film algae and detritus, using its comb-like teeth, and is best classified as a herbivore that also takes some detritus and meaty foods. It is peaceful for a tang, though it will defend a feeding area. In the aquarium it helps control nuisance algae and is generally reef-safe. It needs a mature tank with plenty of live rock for grazing and open space for swimming, plus supplemental feeding with dried algae sheets and vegetable-based foods. Good water quality and stable conditions are important, as tangs are prone to skin parasites when stressed.