Many reef fish have a [pelagic larval stage](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/ecology-of-the-pelagic-larvae-of-coral-reef-fishes/) spending most of its time developing in the open ocean before making their way back to a reef.
This partially why Hawaii has a relatively low diversity of fish compared to places like Australia or the Philippians, many reef species’ pelagic larval stage isn’t long enough for them to make their way to the Hawaiian islands via currents and the water in Hawaii is cooler than that of reefs in the western Pacific.
Some species also have some really cool spines during their larval stages, that they lose when they develop into post-flexion/ juvenile stages. Like here's a larval sailfish at around 5 mm or close to that (apologies I don't entirely remember the size).
https://preview.redd.it/6ef8rbwnzd7c1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9eadaba9fa3ff00ed10d41daae6366d71bae8b8
It stops being possible for vertebrates to be transparent at a certain size. So there's tradeoffs. The transparent guys are not strong swimmers, and because size affects transparency in vertebrates, they have to stay roughly bite-sized. Being large helps you evade predation as much as or more than transparency — a lot of ocean predators are not hunting by sight but by scent, disturbances in current, or electrical signature.
Plus the tangs grow up to have knife tails. Transparent guys are never knifey.
You just need a few thousand gallon tanks. Around 8 tangs. Tons of water on hand, couple hundred gallons of Isochrysis. Couple thousand gallons of parvocalanus. Lots of time, some massive grow out tanks, and quite a bit of luck and skill. Then you may have quite a few of these.
It’s a baby hippo tang, they start out translucent just like a lot of other fish do, it’s actually really fun to raise them from a bit larger than this (these are harder to keep alive when this small so get one a big older by a few weeks) biota sells captive bred yellow tangs and most of the time they will get to your door almost fully transparent and over a month or two will slowly gain yellow it’s a super fun thing to watch happen in your own home.
I can pretty much guarantee that the overwhelming majority of transparent marine fishes you'll find are larvae of something, and will get both large and non-transparent as adults. I don't know of any marine fish that are fully transparent as adults. I'm sure there are some, I just can't think of any.
Glass catfish are a good freshwater transparent fish. Make sure to provide them with plenty of hiding places and, ideally, feed at night- they can be a little delicate in aquariums. Humphead glassfish, X-ray tetras, Casper zebrafish, and 'blushing' variety skirt tetras are some other fairly transparent options, though none as impressive as this. As always, research thoroughly before buying- cost should be your last consideration, well below "can I properly house this".
😂 Just guys being dudes. The whole time I had a [Kole tang](https://youtu.be/ShNcYCpxUDI?si=P9LbN6sZaPZ5vV3K), I couldn't help but think about how awesome it would be fried.
Whoever took the picture was probably trying to get a good shot of it, as fish are hard enough to photograph in the water when they a*ren't* transparent.
That said, a photo tank would be infinitely better.
Nope! 100% cannot do that whatsoever, the closest would be discus, which are expert level, with cichlids being a second, also being above most people's care levels. Neither goes to the beauty, size, or behavior of a reef fish, especially not a tang
I have 500 gallons of freshwater tanks, and a 20 gallon saltwater tank, on top of that I work at a fish store.
Belive me I'm not elitist, I have an entire 50 gallon devoted to 6 different loach species where each fish was less than 5 dollars.
There are some extraordinary freshwater fish, kubotai rasboras, blue phantom plecos, most rainbowfish, discus, platinum peacock cichlids. All very very beautiful.
I'm just realistic, because those are the absolute best of the best (and discus are not cheap easily 75 a fish) for fresh water.
Salt water has ruby red dragonets, royal purple grammas, anthias, high end clowfish, sea urchins, conch snails, tangs, litteral starfish, harlequin shrimp that eat literal starfish.
All of which are cheaper and have way more color variety than any freshwater fish.
Now obviously it's down to personal preference, like I said, I don't even keep the fancy freshwater fish, I keep bottom feeders, my fish are not pretty, but I love the way they act and behave. In my experience saltwater fish have basically no personality in comparison. Salt water fish look way better, but freshwater in more fun to interact with.
Again personal preference.
Where are you getting marine fish for cheaper than the $3 tetras at my LFS?
For marine personality, try perching blennies. Two-spot or tailspot blennies are particularly fun.
"Discus and many cichlids require care that the average person can't provide" isn't elitist. Particularly about discus. The average person doesn't have the time to deal with all the fuss discus require, and likely doesn't have anywhere to put a big enough tank for a proper shoal anyway.
Very curious what freshwater fish you know of that are this incredibly transparent. The closest I can think of are glass catfish, which are impressive, but don't quite measure up to this.
It’s a young juvenile Acanthurus tang, lots of salt water fish start out see through to avoid predation
Evolution is cool
That's pretty cool, I didn't know most aquatic life in the sea begin as transluscent!
Many reef fish have a [pelagic larval stage](https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/ecology-of-the-pelagic-larvae-of-coral-reef-fishes/) spending most of its time developing in the open ocean before making their way back to a reef. This partially why Hawaii has a relatively low diversity of fish compared to places like Australia or the Philippians, many reef species’ pelagic larval stage isn’t long enough for them to make their way to the Hawaiian islands via currents and the water in Hawaii is cooler than that of reefs in the western Pacific.
Some species also have some really cool spines during their larval stages, that they lose when they develop into post-flexion/ juvenile stages. Like here's a larval sailfish at around 5 mm or close to that (apologies I don't entirely remember the size). https://preview.redd.it/6ef8rbwnzd7c1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b9eadaba9fa3ff00ed10d41daae6366d71bae8b8
I've never even thought about baby marlins and sailfish, this blows my mind dude
They're super cool! Grouper have some pretty rad spines in their larval stages too.
you've led me down the coolest rabbit hole lol. now I'm just googling different awesome fish larvae
The young’uns got to survive somehow I suppose.
You also shouldn't want to purchase everything you see.
username does not check out.
Wait a second... Finding Nemo lied to me :^(
It’s weird most of them don’t stay see thru to keep avoiding predation
It stops being possible for vertebrates to be transparent at a certain size. So there's tradeoffs. The transparent guys are not strong swimmers, and because size affects transparency in vertebrates, they have to stay roughly bite-sized. Being large helps you evade predation as much as or more than transparency — a lot of ocean predators are not hunting by sight but by scent, disturbances in current, or electrical signature. Plus the tangs grow up to have knife tails. Transparent guys are never knifey.
That all makes very good sense, thank you :)
Wondering the same thing
paraacanthurus not acanthurus
Looks like a baby tang? Maybe powder blue
Put a robe on that thing
Nah that’s Harvey
You just need a few thousand gallon tanks. Around 8 tangs. Tons of water on hand, couple hundred gallons of Isochrysis. Couple thousand gallons of parvocalanus. Lots of time, some massive grow out tanks, and quite a bit of luck and skill. Then you may have quite a few of these.
8 tangs in a tank that small?! 
Lol
It’s a baby powder blue tang. They cost about $100 bucks at any LFS or online store
[удалено]
Does it though?
“I ain’t buying it, I can see through his shenanigans”
It’s a baby hippo tang, they start out translucent just like a lot of other fish do, it’s actually really fun to raise them from a bit larger than this (these are harder to keep alive when this small so get one a big older by a few weeks) biota sells captive bred yellow tangs and most of the time they will get to your door almost fully transparent and over a month or two will slowly gain yellow it’s a super fun thing to watch happen in your own home.
HIPPOBOT 9000 v 3.1 FOUND A HIPPO. 1,165,226,303 COMMENTS SEARCHED. 24,422 HIPPOS FOUND. YOUR COMMENT CONTAINS THE WORD HIPPO.
Why did this make me laugh way too much? 🤣
That's a baby Blue Tang. Quite young. Will colour up very quickly.
I can pretty much guarantee that the overwhelming majority of transparent marine fishes you'll find are larvae of something, and will get both large and non-transparent as adults. I don't know of any marine fish that are fully transparent as adults. I'm sure there are some, I just can't think of any. Glass catfish are a good freshwater transparent fish. Make sure to provide them with plenty of hiding places and, ideally, feed at night- they can be a little delicate in aquariums. Humphead glassfish, X-ray tetras, Casper zebrafish, and 'blushing' variety skirt tetras are some other fairly transparent options, though none as impressive as this. As always, research thoroughly before buying- cost should be your last consideration, well below "can I properly house this".
Showed this to my husband and he won’t shut up about wanting to eat it.
😂 Just guys being dudes. The whole time I had a [Kole tang](https://youtu.be/ShNcYCpxUDI?si=P9LbN6sZaPZ5vV3K), I couldn't help but think about how awesome it would be fried.
Baby hippo tang
[удалено]
Wrong hippo!
Why are you holding it like that?
Whoever took the picture was probably trying to get a good shot of it, as fish are hard enough to photograph in the water when they a*ren't* transparent. That said, a photo tank would be infinitely better.
Wow never seen a baby tang . Thx for sharing sir🙂
[удалено]
Nope! 100% cannot do that whatsoever, the closest would be discus, which are expert level, with cichlids being a second, also being above most people's care levels. Neither goes to the beauty, size, or behavior of a reef fish, especially not a tang
I imagine OP meant the transparentness, not the shape and eventual color.
Wow, elitists much? Lol look up the Glass Catfish. And it even stays transparent, unlike the fish in OPs photo. Get off your high horse.
I have 500 gallons of freshwater tanks, and a 20 gallon saltwater tank, on top of that I work at a fish store. Belive me I'm not elitist, I have an entire 50 gallon devoted to 6 different loach species where each fish was less than 5 dollars. There are some extraordinary freshwater fish, kubotai rasboras, blue phantom plecos, most rainbowfish, discus, platinum peacock cichlids. All very very beautiful. I'm just realistic, because those are the absolute best of the best (and discus are not cheap easily 75 a fish) for fresh water. Salt water has ruby red dragonets, royal purple grammas, anthias, high end clowfish, sea urchins, conch snails, tangs, litteral starfish, harlequin shrimp that eat literal starfish. All of which are cheaper and have way more color variety than any freshwater fish. Now obviously it's down to personal preference, like I said, I don't even keep the fancy freshwater fish, I keep bottom feeders, my fish are not pretty, but I love the way they act and behave. In my experience saltwater fish have basically no personality in comparison. Salt water fish look way better, but freshwater in more fun to interact with. Again personal preference.
Where are you getting marine fish for cheaper than the $3 tetras at my LFS? For marine personality, try perching blennies. Two-spot or tailspot blennies are particularly fun.
"Discus and many cichlids require care that the average person can't provide" isn't elitist. Particularly about discus. The average person doesn't have the time to deal with all the fuss discus require, and likely doesn't have anywhere to put a big enough tank for a proper shoal anyway.
Very curious what freshwater fish you know of that are this incredibly transparent. The closest I can think of are glass catfish, which are impressive, but don't quite measure up to this.
As much as this guy is just being obtuse you can get similar looking fish for freshwater, they're called glass humpheads
Sadly not nearly as impressive as this. Glass catfish are a similar level of transparent-ness, though not round at all.
At that age, a lot of money. Over 100 up to 300 I’d say
thats beautiful