 |
 |
.com.au |
||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Emperor Tang
Information resourced and
researched from
"Tropical Marine Aquaria"
by Graham.F.Cox.
Published by Treasure Press
© The Hamlyn Publishing Group
All the fishes in the surgeon and tang family are so called because of the existence of razor-sharp ‘scalpels’ tucked into hollow sheaths at the base of the tail. When angry or afraid the fish can raise these devices at right angles to the body and, as a result of a threshing action of the tail, inflict terrible wounds on the body or fins of an adversary. These fishes will not hesitate to inflict the same sort of treatment on a human hand, so the greatest possible care must be exercised if handling a member of this group.
Like all the members of this family, Emperor Tangs have a great liking for green-stuff in their diet. Three or four times each week, these fishes should receive a good feeding of freshly thawed frozen spinach, or better still, fresh spinach. Such vegetation does not, of course, exist in the fishes’ natural environment, and so most coral fishes have to be taught to eat it. This is best achieved by allowing the fishes to fast for a whole day. Then, on the first feed of the following day, spinach (or even chopped lettuce) should be offered. Usually the fishes will be so hungry that thye will swallow the proffered food without realising what they have eaten, and an increasingly strong liking is usually developed for this valuable food. All the surgeonfishes and tangs are swift and powerful swimmers, and have a real need for large open spaces within the aquarium.
