Lined Bristletooth Tang

Overview

The Lined Bristletooth Tang is a dark brown-to-grey surgeonfish marked with fine horizontal orange-yellow striping across the body, one of the more commonly available and recognisable Ctenochaetus species. Like its relatives it uses fine, comb-like teeth to sift detritus and diatoms off rock and sand, making it a genuinely useful clean-up contributor as well as an attractive display fish.

It's one of the hardier and more forgiving tangs available, tolerating a range of tank sizes better than many larger Acanthurus species, and is a common recommendation for a first tang purchase.

Given adequate space and an established tank, it's a low-maintenance, long-lived addition to a reef system.

Compatibility

Lined Bristletooth Tangs can show territorial aggression toward other tangs, particularly similarly shaped species, so care with stocking order matters in tanks with multiple surgeonfish. They're generally peaceful with unrelated community fish.

This species is fully reef safe and won't bother corals, clams, or invertebrates.

Health & quarantine

As a Ctenochaetus species this is one of the hardier tangs, though it's still susceptible to marine ich like all surgeonfish, so a minimum four-week quarantine is recommended. Good water flow and a varied diet support long-term health and colour.