Yellow Tang
Zebrasoma flavescens
43.728, -79.4554
Field Notes
Description:
Yellow tang are in the surgeonfish family. Adult fish can grow to 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in length, and 1–2 centimetres (0.39–0.79 in) in thickness. Adult males tend to be larger than females. All individuals of this species are bright daffodil yellow in color. At night, the yellow coloring fades slightly and a prominent brownish patch develops in the middle with a horizontal white band. They rapidly resume their bright yellow color with daylight.
They have an arrow-like shape due to their dorsal and ventral fins being almost an extension to their bodies, and a long snout-like mouth used (as with other tangs) to eat algae. They also have a sharp spine located near their tail. They have become a popular fish for marine aquarists of all skill levels, as the fish tends to be active, hardy, and nonaggressive when kept with dissimilar species.
Habitat:
Oceanfish aquarium
Notes:
The yellow tang is a very commonly kept as a saltwater aquarium fish. They can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm), although 6 inches (15 cm) is more common in the wild. They require an aquarium of at least 75 gallons, while 100+ gallons is preferred. They are usually very hardy, although, like all Tangs, are quite susceptible to Cryptocaryon Irritans, (A parasite resembling Freshwater "Ich") and other common saltwater diseases. They are semi-aggressive. They normally successfully cohabit with other semi-aggressive fish close to their own size. Tangs can thrive with others in pairs or in a group in large tanks (150+ gallons). Possible other tankmates include fish such as cardinalfish, large clownfish, lionfish, eels, or other Tangs such as the blue tang or Achilles tang. They are reef-safe, and can be kept with any invertebrates in a reef aquarium.
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