How related are they?
Same family, Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes and tangs): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Achilles Tang belongs to Acanthurus (Acanthurus surgeonfishes), the Blue Hippo Tang to Paracanthurus (Palette tangs).
Find the Achilles Tang on the tree · Find the Blue Hippo Tang on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Achilles Tang | Blue Hippo Tang |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Chordata Chordates | |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata Vertebrates | |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata jawed vertebrates | |
| Parvphylum | Osteichthyes bony fishes | |
| Gigaclass | Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes | |
| Superclass | Actinopteri | |
| Class | Teleostei Teleost fishes | |
| Order | Acanthuriformes Surgeonfishes, angelfishes and kin | |
| Family | Acanthuridae Surgeonfishes and tangs | |
| Genus split | Acanthurus Acanthurus surgeonfishes | Paracanthurus Palette tangs |
| Species | Acanthurus achilles Achilles Tang | Paracanthurus hepatus Blue Hippo Tang |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Achilles Tang | Blue Hippo Tang |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Tang | Fish · Tang |
| Care level | Expert | Moderate |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Semi-aggressive |
| Diet | Herbivore | Omnivore |
| Favorite foods | Dried seaweed (nori) on a clip, Algae-based pellets, Spirulina-enriched brine shrimp or mysis | Frozen mysis shrimp and other plankton-type frozen foods, Dried marine seaweed sheets (nori, red and green algae) on a clip, Spirulina and algae-based pellets and flakes |
| Max size | 9.4 in (24 cm) | 12 in (31 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 180 gal | 180 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.025 | 1.020–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | — | 0–30 ppm |
| Lifespan | Not documented in the sources we checked; no published longevity study or reliable captive lifespan figure was found. | More than 30 years in the wild. In aquariums usually 8-20 years, with an average of about 12-14 years according to Animal Diversity Web; disease shortens many captive lives. |
| Breeding | Not achieved | Very hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |