Blue-banded Pualu

About

The ringtail surgeonfish (Acanthurus blochii) is a large, wide-ranging species found across an enormous stretch of the Indo-Pacific, from the reefs off East Africa all the way out to Hawaii and the Society Islands. In the wild, adults patrol outer lagoon and seaward reef zones, often moving in small groups and occasionally forming larger schools in more oceanic settings. Their diet is unusually sand-centric for a surgeonfish. They graze the thin algal film that coats compacted sand, ingesting the sand itself in the process, which helps them break down food in their thick-walled stomachs. Diatoms and detritus round out their natural menu. In the aquarium, providing ample algae and appropriate substitute foods is key. One genuinely interesting quirk is their ability to shift color with their mood, something you will notice fairly quickly in a home system. They are active and diurnal, but they carry a real edge. Literally. Like all surgeonfish, they have a sharp, retractable spine at the caudal peduncle that can inflict a serious cut during handling, so use caution when netting or moving them. They also tend toward aggression with similar-looking surgeonfish species and their own kind. Given their potential size and long lifespan, this is a species that rewards patient, committed keepers with a suitably large setup.