All fish / Acanthuridae

Yellowfin Surgeonfish

Acanthurus xanthopterus

Also known as yellowfin tang, yellow-fin surgeonfish, yellowfin surgeon, クロハギ, 黄鳍刺尾鱼

This is a large, deep-bodied surgeonfish with a purplish grey to brown body, a yellow band through the pectoral fins and a yellowish patch in front of the eye. It is one of the biggest members of its genus, so people mostly keep it in public aquaria or very large home systems where it grazes algae and swims actively.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

45 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

2000 litres

Keep as

Singly, unless the tank is very large

Diet

Omnivore: algae, nori, marine pellets, mysis and krill

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 25 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific, from East Africa to Hawaii and Central America

Breeding

In the wild it spawns in groups, releasing eggs into open water, and the larvae spend a long time drifting as plankton. It has not been bred reliably in home aquariums.

Good to know

It can grow past 50 cm and needs a huge tank with plenty of swimming room. Like all surgeonfish it has sharp scalpels at the base of the tail and may fight other tangs.