Whitecheck / Gold-Rimmed Surgeon Tang Fish

Paracanthurus hepatus has a royal blue body, yellow tail, and black “palette” design. The lower body is yellow in the west-central Indian Ocean.^[4] It grows to 30 cm (12 in).^[2] Adults typically weigh around 600 g (21 oz) and males are generally larger than females.^[5] This fish is rather flat, like a pancake, with a circular body shape, a pointed snout-like nose, and small scales. The blue tang has nine dorsal spines, 26–28 dorsal soft rays, three anal spines, and 24–26 anal soft yellow rays.