Zebrasoma veliferum
Encyclopedia
The sailfin tang is a marine
reef
tang in the fish family
Acanthuridae
. They may live at water depths of 1 - 60 m
(3 - 200 ft) or more. The fish grow to a maximum length of 40 cm (15.8 in
). Zebrasoma veliferum has an extensive range throughout Oceania
, the Indian Ocean
, and the South Pacific
. Zebrasoma veliferum is a popular fish in the aquarium trade. They are herbivorous fish specializing in filamentous algae. Though their skin is light beige with stripes, it can turn dark brown under stress.
The body if the Sailfin tang is disc-shaped with a much elevated dorsal fin and a big anal fin. It has an extended snout. Compared to the other members of the genus Zebrasoma, the Sailfin tang has larger but fewer pharyngeal teeth. On each side of the caudal peduncle, there is a single sharp spine (the so called scalpel) which is used for defence and to establish dominance. When the fish is not using its scalpel, it will be folded down inside a groove.
The Sailfin tang is decorated with broad pale yellow bands that alternate with darker bands over the body. The bending extends into both dorsal and anal fins. On the darker bands, you can see yellow dots and stripes. The caudal fin is yellow. The head of the fish is white and adorned with yellow dots. A dark band with yellow dots runs through the eye and another dark band with dots is located right behind the eye.
Juvenile specimens look similar to the adult fish, but with more yellow colouring. They are also nearly identical to the unrelated adult Moorish idol
.
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
tang in the fish family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Acanthuridae
Acanthuridae
Acanthuridae is the family of surgeonfishes, tangs, and unicornfishes. The family includes about 80 species in six genera, all of which are marine fish living in tropical seas, usually around coral reefs...
. They may live at water depths of 1 - 60 m
Metre
The metre , symbol m, is the base unit of length in the International System of Units . Originally intended to be one ten-millionth of the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole , its definition has been periodically refined to reflect growing knowledge of metrology...
(3 - 200 ft) or more. The fish grow to a maximum length of 40 cm (15.8 in
Inch
An inch is the name of a unit of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units. There are 36 inches in a yard and 12 inches in a foot...
). Zebrasoma veliferum has an extensive range throughout Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, and the South Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Zebrasoma veliferum is a popular fish in the aquarium trade. They are herbivorous fish specializing in filamentous algae. Though their skin is light beige with stripes, it can turn dark brown under stress.
Size and appearance
This species is one of the largest members of the genus Zebrasoma. The largest scientifically measured Sailfin tang was 40.0 cm / 15.7 in.The body if the Sailfin tang is disc-shaped with a much elevated dorsal fin and a big anal fin. It has an extended snout. Compared to the other members of the genus Zebrasoma, the Sailfin tang has larger but fewer pharyngeal teeth. On each side of the caudal peduncle, there is a single sharp spine (the so called scalpel) which is used for defence and to establish dominance. When the fish is not using its scalpel, it will be folded down inside a groove.
The Sailfin tang is decorated with broad pale yellow bands that alternate with darker bands over the body. The bending extends into both dorsal and anal fins. On the darker bands, you can see yellow dots and stripes. The caudal fin is yellow. The head of the fish is white and adorned with yellow dots. A dark band with yellow dots runs through the eye and another dark band with dots is located right behind the eye.
Juvenile specimens look similar to the adult fish, but with more yellow colouring. They are also nearly identical to the unrelated adult Moorish idol
Moorish Idol
The moorish idol, Zanclus cornutus , is a small marine fish species, the sole extant representative of the family Zanclidae in order Perciform. A common inhabitant of tropical to subtropical reefs and lagoons, the moorish idol is notable for its wide distribution throughout the Indo-Pacific...
.