Ornate Surgeonfish

Facts about the Ornate Surgeonfish, it is also known as Eyestripe Surgeonfish or Pencilled Surgeonfish. The Ornate Surgeonfish is big and so not suitable for the small to average aquarium. Ornate Surgeonfish is known for its beautiful colors. Unlike other fish that change when they grow, the Ornate Surgeonfish does not lose its beauty. The Ornate Surgeonfish rather gets more beautiful as it grows. The Ornate Surgeonfish is an expensive fish and can only be suited in a large aquarium.
These Ornate Surgeonfish are colorful and the colors vary from the location in which they are found. Their bodies are grayish in color with yellow colors around the edges and purple highlights. The face and gill have thin wavy lines that are visible. The eyes have an orange band.
With a closer look of the Ornate Surgeonfish you will see irregular blue lines and a yellow head. The bluish spots are also visible to some and the lines on their bodies are blue to some fish. Adult’s caudal fin is blue and their heads are yellow.
Juvenile Ornate Surgeonfish are normally not colorful like the adults. Their bodies are dusky with yellow dorsal fins while their caudal fin is white.
The Ornate Surgeonfish have a lifespan of 28 years.
The Ornate Surgeonfish are herbivores meaning they eat vegetables. When in the wild, the Ornate Surgeonfish feed on green and brown algae, detritus, and diatoms. If kept in captive, the Ornate Surgeonfish are fed with algae, frozen brine, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, and flake foods.
There are some that spawn on public aquariums though there are no reports of any rearing of young ones in those aquariums. Spawning in open water has been reported severally and they have been seen in pairs in the ocean. The Ornate Surgeonfish normally rise to the surface, release their gametes then go back to the water.
Their social behavior is interesting. The Ornate Surgeonfish are peaceful and do fine when kept on fine reef settings. They graze on the algae with no problems. But when they are kept in the aquariums, they get aggressive towards each other especially if it is their own species. It is good to keep them alone to avoid such incidences.
If you prefer to keep them with other tangs of different species, it is fine, as long as the tangs have different similarities. If you want to add a new member to their tank, put some barriers like rocks at first. This will confuse them and though they will get aggressive at first they will get along later.
Ornate Surgeonfish are rarely found in aquariums. This is because they are expensive and requires a large aquarium. However, Ornate Surgeonfish are kept in public aquariums in most States.
If you prefer to have them always make sure that the tank is filled with lots of water because they are swimmers. They enjoy a lot of water and changing water frequently is not necessary.
Ornate Surgeonfish do not produce skin mucus on their bodies like other fish so they are susceptible to many diseases. The marine velvet attacks them frequently and quarantine is necessary. However, in cases that they get sick, they can be treated with copper drugs. A point to note though is that copper is not very good for them because they have micro fauna in their digestive system. Only treat it if it is extremely necessary.