All fish / Acanthuridae

Bluespine Unicornfish

Naso unicornis

Also known as bluespine unicorn tang, unicorn tang, short-nose unicornfish, unicornfish, bluespine unicorn, kala, テングハギ, 单角鼻鱼, 独角倒吊

A large olive-grey to bluish surgeonfish with a short bony horn on the forehead of adults and bright blue scalpel spines at the base of the tail. Males grow long streamers on the tail fin. It is kept by public aquaria and owners of very large reef systems for its active swimming and appetite for nuisance algae.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

50 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

3000 litres

Keep as

Single specimen unless in a very large system

Diet

Herbivore: nori, macroalgae, spirulina-based foods, plus some mysis and marine pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 30 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Hawaii and the Marquesas

Breeding

Spawns in pairs or groups in open water, releasing pelagic eggs with a long larval stage. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Reaches 50 to 70 cm in length and needs a huge tank with lots of swimming room, so it outgrows almost every home aquarium. The tail spines are sharp and can cut hands and tankmates.