Acanthurus nigrofuscus

Acanthurus nigrofuscus, also known as the lavender tang, brown tang, or spot-cheeked surgeonfish, is a tang from the Indo-Pacific and Hawaii. It commonly makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to 21 cm in length.[2] Recently, a huge bacterium discovered in its intestine, Epulopiscium fishelsoni,[3][4] has been found to grow as large as 600 by 80 μm, a little smaller than a printed hyphen, which controls the pH of its host's gut, thereby influencing its host's ability to digest food and absorb nutrients.

Acanthurus nigrofuscus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Acanthuridae
Genus: Acanthurus
Species:
A. nigrofuscus
Binomial name
Acanthurus nigrofuscus
(Forsskål, 1775)

Diet

The lavender tang is an herbivore that grazes primarily on benthic algae. In captivity, they will also feed on animal matter such as brine shrimp and mysis shrimp.

References
  1. Choat, J.H.; McIlwain, J.; Abesamis, R.; Clements, K.D.; Myers, R.; Nanola, C.; Rocha, L.A.; Russell, B.; Stockwell, B. (2012). "Acanthurus nigrofuscus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T178019A1523035. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T178019A1523035.en.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Angert ER, Clements KD, Pace NR (1993). "The largest bacterium". Nature. 362 (6417): 239–241. doi:10.1038/362239a0. PMID 8459849.
  4. Angert ER, Brooks AE, Pace NR (1996). "Phylogenetic analysis of Metabacterium polyspora: Clues to the evolutionary origin of Epulopiscium spp., the largest bacteria". Journal of Bacteriology. 178 (5): 1451–6. PMC 177821. PMID 8631724.


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