Yellow tangfish
(Zebrasoma flavescens)
Facts
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IUCN NOT EVALUATED (NE)
Facts about this animal
The yellow tang reaches a total length of 15-18 cm. It has a sharp spine on each side of the body close to the base of the tail and distinct anterolateral grooves but the presence of venom glands could not be determined.
The yellow tang lives singly or in loose groups. It feeds on filamentous algae.
Did you know?
that the yellow tang has become known to a wide audience thanks to the movie Finding Nemo? The character "Bubbles" is a yellow tang who is a member of the "tank gang" and behaves wildly in the presence of bubbles.
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | ACTINOPTERYGII |
| Order | PERCIFORMES |
| Suborder | ACANTHUROIDEI |
| Family | ACANTHURIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Zebrasoma flavescens |
| Name (English) | Yellow tangfish |
| Name (French) | Chirurgien jaune |
| Name (German) | Gelber Segelflossendoktor |
| Name (Spanish) | Pez cirujano amarillo |
| CITES Status | Not listed |
| CMS Status | Not listed |
Photo Copyright by
Vladimír Motyčka
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | Pacific Ocean: Ryukyu, Mariana, Marshall, Marcus, Wake and Hawaiian islands. |
| Habitat | Coral reefs from surface to a depth of ca. 46 m. |
| Wild population | Unknown |
| Zoo population | Considering that most public aquaria are not part of the WAZA system and do not register their collections with ISIS, available ISIS data are not significant. |
In the Zoo
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How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 51 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Fish must be unpacked carefully and under low illumination.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Mila Zinkova
Why do zoos keep this animal
Yellow tang are not an endangered species but their habitats, coral reefs, are threatened in many places. They are thus presented by zoos and aquariums as an ambassador species for reef protection.
How this animal should be kept
Minimum size for a tank is 1 m³ (1000 liter), Salinity should be in the order of 34 to 35 ppt, The water should be slightly alkaline with a pH from 8.1 to 8.4. Carbonate hardness must not fall under 7 to 9 KH, it may be relatively high if stony corals are kept in the tank, but should never exceed 14 HK. Water temperature should range from 24-28 °C.
Yellow tangs may be kept in small groups, whereby, in general, all individuals should be introduced to the aquarium simultaneously.