Kole Tang help

captneil

Member
My tang has "inflated" lips...I just looked at him and he looks like he has teeth!!!!! I thought his lips were just irritated, but I wonder if it is something else?
Water...everything is within range w/ no fluctuation...5.0 trates (normal for our tank) yadda, yadda, yadda.......
 

dogstar

Active Member
Kole tangs have specilized teeth know as bristles that they use to scrape surfaces with. This is why they are called bristletooth tangs. I hope it has not injured its mouth in a way that it can not feed because most never recover from a bad mouth injury and die from starveing. I cant help you other than that without a photo or more information.
 

captneil

Member
Sorry..I wrote on the "disease" thread w/ all of the info. regarding water parameters. My little guy is still eating/acting normally with all of the others. He looks fine , but this mouth thing is weird. Any ideas?
 

dogstar

Active Member
The Kole or Yellow Eye Tang, Ctenochaetus strigosus .......
One of six genera of acanthurids, Ctenochaetus comprises six of the seventy-two described species of Surgeonfishes. Specialized mouths and teeth, in the Greek, cteno-chaetus means "comb bristle" define the genus’ members. Unlike other surgeons that have rigid, attached dentition, Ctenochaetus have movable, individual, bristle-like teeth. Coupled with a protrusible, outreaching mouth, these fishes use this unusual feeding device to sort and remove interstitial fauna, scrape soft algae, and "detritus" of nutritive value from rock and substrate.
 
Top