Yellow Tang in Florida?!?!?!

[ReefGuy]

Yellow tang. At least that's what I was told when I got one for my aquarium.

I've come across ornamentals that are definately not from Florida. Walter and I came across a pair of what looked like some kind of butterfly at Venice beach, and I've heard about lionfish on the other coast. My guess is that these were released from someone's tank (possibly after one of the hurricanes last year).

 

[jviehe]

According to my Reef ID program, the juvenile blue tang is yellow, but has a flat tail (triangle instead of the adult crescent), and its more a dark yellow than that bright yellow. Like this.

Also, that stripe in the pic is just the shadow of the coral in front of it.

 

[vanshook]

this is not a yellow tang like you may see in the pacific. this is a juvenile blue tang
and eventualy he will be blue. Divers often make the same assumption.

I've kept Marine Aquariums for over 15 years; this IS a yellow tang...

 

[vanshook]

According to my Reef ID program, the juvenile blue tang is yellow, but has a flat tail (triangle instead of the adult crescent), and its more a dark yellow than that bright yellow. Like this.

Also, that stripe in the pic is just the shadow of the coral in front of it.

Thank you, you are correct. This IS a Yellow Tang, I would prefer to talk about how it got there than if I can ID the fish properly.

 

[Scuba_Dad]

I've kept Marine Aquariums for over 15 years; this IS a yellow tang...

Yup! I agree! Plus the barb on the juvi blue tang is yellow.. the Yellow Tang has a white barb like the one in the picture.

Nice picture....

 

[vanshook]

this is not a yellow tang like you may see in the pacific. this is a juvenile blue tang
and eventualy he will be blue. Divers often make the same assumption.

No, it is not a juvenile Atlantic Blue; it is a Yellow Tang. The body shape of an Atlantic Blue is totally different no matter what stage (Adult/Juvenile) or color (yellow/blue).

 

[vanshook]

Here are a few more for all you doubters. Lets talk about where they came from!

 

[zboss]

Maybe somebody let a mating pair go? Be a long swim from Maui....

I read somewhere there's Lionfish living near some wrecks off N.C.

There was just another thread recently about someone who saw some Pacific Sailfin Tangs on the east coast also.

I think it's aquarium owners who can't bear the thought of killing their overgrown pacific reef fish so they let them go in the ocean near where they live. Or their sewer system empties into the ocean...

It's unlikely that the fish were let go... rather it's more likely that a pair mated and the small fry were washing into the ocean during a aquarium water change.

 

[archman]

Kill the fish. Kill the fish. Kill the fish. :hanged:
:bigun2: :kopfab:

Exotics must all die. DIE!

 

[Itote]

This mean I gotta squish any small yeller tangy lookin fishes that happen by? I wonder would they be better baked with some dill and lemon or fried with a side of grits and hushpuppies? Dang it, now I'm hungry again......