[Ebook] Encyclopedia of Aquarium & Pond Fish – Directory of Marine Fish – Surgeonfish and tangs
These fish commonly include significant amounts of algae in their diet—in fact, the word “tang,” which is applied to smaller members of the group, is an abbreviation of the German Seetang, meaning “seaweed.” Just like land herbivores, these fish have beneficial populations of bacteria in their alimentary tracts to assist the breakdown of plant matter.