Sailfin Tang---Bat Fish

Sep 14, 2003
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What is the diff. between a Sailfin Tang and a Batfish? They look identical (except for maybe color) from the picture I saw.
 
Totally different types of fish. Obviously the Sailfin is a Tang and the Bat is a Batfish. They share no family resemblences and I don't think they look that much alike at all. What pic did you see? Check out live aquaria and see their pics and see if you still think the same thing. Hope this helps.
 
Very different fish--different families, even. The sailfin tang has the knives on it's cauduls, can collapse the large dorsal fin, and is primarily an herbivore. Bats (and there are several species--the orbitculus is the most often seen) get about the same size, but as an adult are shaped much more like a large angel, and can not collapse their fins much. They need a tall, large tank, don't swim around as much as the tangs, and prefer a meatier diet. The juvenile bats may look similar to a sailfin in shape and color, but most are an orange brown, and look more like a leaf. They are in mangrove and treed coastal areas as juveniles, then move out to the open sand and reefs as adults.
 
I saw the pic. in LiveAquaria's catalog today. I checked them out on the website and they look sorta close....but when looking closer I can notice differences. Mainly the shape of the head and body. In the catalog it had it's bottom fin extended. Everything is clear now, thanks for the the replies.

Oh yeah, I also noticed that other types of Batfish look nothing like that Sailfin Tang at all. The "Platax orbicularis" had the most similar appearance.

*OG, are you a real person? I think your some sort of Marine Biology Database programed to reply to posts.*

Batfish
pw69118orbicularis_batfish.jpg

Tang
pw74370sailfin_tang.jpg
 
As posted in another thread:

Nope--I'm Answer Woman. They even gave me a cape to wear at work. I drew the line at the red tights, but the thigh high leather boots and bustier are nice.

:laugh:

I'd be disappointed in a database that would generate as many typos as I do!

FWIW--the bat pictured there is a juvenile. The fins will be shorter and the body more triangular and larger in the adults. The coloration will be primarily vertical striping, dark gray and silver, with a hint of yellow, in most I've seen.
 
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