Blue Hippo Tang

The blue hippo tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) is an Indo-Pacific surgeonfish with a royal blue body, a black palette-shaped marking along the flank and a bright yellow tail. Juveniles are tiny and endearing; adults are anything but. In the wild they hover in current-swept reef channels and drop into coral branches when startled, behaviour they keep in captivity, often wedging into rockwork at night.

Aquarium care

• Grows large, well past 20 cm, and needs a long tank with genuine swimming length rather than volume alone.
• Notably prone to marine ich and other parasites. Quarantine and stable conditions are not optional extras with this fish.
• Wants strong, turbulent flow and well-oxygenated water.
• Needs a mature system with plenty of rockwork for grazing and for hiding.
• Diet must include marine algae or nori alongside meaty frozen foods; algae matters for long-term health.
• Can be scrappy with other tangs, particularly in a tank that is too small.

Buy this fish only if you can house the adult. In a large, settled reef it does well with clownfish, wrasses, larger cardinalfish and other robust reef species. It is a poor choice for nano tanks or newly cycled systems, however appealing the juveniles look. Stock rotates; local pickup at our Lethbridge store. Browse saltwater fish.