Hi reefers!

I have a question for you, Do you think the naso tang has a striking similarity in appearance to the conspicillatus angel? and in turn do you think the naso is a kind of poor man's conspic angel? Please comment on this. Also do any of you have experience with the intelligence of the naso compared to other smart fish like triggers for example?

Thanks

IMO, while they have similar colors, i dont think they look that similar at all. as far as there intelligence.. i cant really comment there.. IME tangs seem to have a decent intelligence level, but i dont think its way higher or lower than any of the other common fish we keep

Thanks Rob, i'm trying to convince myself that the blonde naso would be a good choice in place of a conspic that i can't affoed. How much do they go for in the states? They're about $2000US here which is ridiculous considering that they're collected from just off the coast of my state in Lord Howe Island. I'll leave it as my "dream fish" so one day one day...

Titus, besides the fact lord howe is a protected sanction, the capture of this fish is illigal, Australia authorities would throw the book at you if they found out.
P&G and some places in asia provide trade in our neck of the woods & the price tag equates to the fact they are indeed on the red list & the hard cold truth that keeping them in captivity rarely see's them living long term.
What make Lord howe special from a diving point of view is that fish of the intermediate deep come into shallow water.

Naso's on the other hand resemble blue powders in looks & nature, & you can pick a healthy species for no more than $150 smacko's

you can pick a healthy species for no more than $150 smacko's

WOW !! i can get a Naso Tang around here for about $75 for a large (5"-6") in full color. i guess that just goes to show you that it all depends on where you live, on the prices on EVERYTHING. i personally think that things should be the same price wherever you live. just my $.02.

In the wild they can grow bigger that 6inch, maybe up to or close to double that, so price is dictated on availability/demand & size

yeah, naso's can get to be over a foot.. although not common in captive..
i have seen captive ones at about 8-10" and those can be well over $100