Elongate Surgeonfish (Acanthurus mata)

The Elongate Surgeonfish (Acanthurus mata) is a graceful, slender tang from the Indo-Pacific characterized by a pale blue-gray body overlaid with numerous thin, iridescent blue horizontal lines and a bright yellow stripe extending from behind the eye. Its deeply forked tail and elongate body make it one of the fastest-swimming surgeonfish, built for life in open, high-flow reef environments. While less dramatically colored than some tang species, its refined beauty and active behavior make it a compelling centerpiece in large, well-maintained systems. In the wild it is often found in loose aggregations over reef slopes, making it one of the few Acanthurus species that tolerates and may benefit from group keeping in sufficiently large aquariums.

Requires a minimum 550-liter aquarium with strong, turbulent circulation to satisfy its need for open-water swimming space. Provide a heavily herbivorous diet with daily offerings of dried nori/seaweed clipped to the glass, supplemented with frozen mysis, spirulina-enriched foods, and marine pellets. Can be kept in groups in very large systems; otherwise house one per tank. Susceptible to ich and HLLE — maintain excellent water quality and a varied, vitamin-rich diet. Reef-safe and generally peaceful toward dissimilar tank mates.