Bright blue fish with a black curved stripe along the body and a yellow tail.

Regal blue tang

Paracanthurus hepatus
Where at Shedd?
Wild Reef
Diet Zooplankton and algae
Size Length: Up to 12 inches (31 cm)
Type Fishes
Range Seaward reefs with a current in the Southeast Atlantic, Indian and West-central Pacific Oceans
Habitat This uncommon fish is found in clear, current-swept sea-facing reefs of the Indian and central Pacific Oceans

Did you know?

  1. This is the same species as “Dory” from the movie Finding Nemo.
  2. Do you see that bump near the tang’s tail? It conceals a “blade” that cuts as cleanly as a scalpel. During an attack, a tang’s tail slashes at enemy fish.

IUCN Red List Conservation Status