Blue Tang Fish

blue tang, blue tang fish, fish, Paracanthurus hepatus,

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Blue Tang fishes may not be the most easily recognizable fish types, but as the Clown Fish took the center stage in the 2003 Disney hit Finding Nemo, the Blue Tang fish was actually a fish type highlight in the film.

In fact, it played a pivotal supporting role in the feature – that of Dory, Marlin’s compatriot in his search for Nemo.

As fish species, Blue Tang fishes are typically found in tropical waters, as with most of the undersea creatures highlighted in the film. Active in the Indo-Pacific regions, Blue Tangs can be typically found in coral reefs, feeding on zooplankton for their day to day dietary needs.

Though no link between Dory’s memory problems and the Blue Tang’s inability to remember things is known to be, the Blue Tang fish does have one unique trait which has made them unique among fish species – they only turn blue when they reach maturity.

A Blue Tang, upon hatching, isn’t hatched blue, but rather hatched with a silvery-grey hue. As they mature and grow into adulthood, their colors change, eventually morphing into shades of blue.

Blue Tangs are among the most at-risk fish species in tropical waters due to the destruction of coral reefs, the natural habitat for a number of tropical underwater creatures.

As a feature, Finding Nemo may have had parental love being the core value of its plot, but as an environmental awareness campaign, Finding Nemo has done well in spreading the word about the importance of keeping the Earth’s underwater ecosystem in check.

However one puts it, pollution is still a threat to all creatures of the Earth, and as its dominant species, we owe it to our fellow Earthlings to take good care of our natural resources and ecosystem.