All fish / Acanthuridae

Purple Tang

Zebrasoma xanthurum

Also known as yellowtail tang, yellowtail surgeonfish, purple sailfin tang, yellow-tail sailfin tang, purple surgeonfish, パープルタン, 紫吊, 黄尾吊, 紫三角

A tall, flattened surgeonfish with a deep blue-purple body dotted with small dark spots and a bright yellow tail. It is a popular reef fish because of its striking colour and its habit of grazing on nuisance algae.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

22 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly; only one tang of this genus per tank unless the tank is very large

Diet

Herbivore: nori and other marine algae, spirulina-based foods, plus some mysis and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea coasts

Breeding

It spawns in pairs or groups, releasing floating eggs into open water. Captive breeding is very rare and almost all specimens are wild caught.

Good to know

It can be very aggressive towards other tangs, especially Zebrasoma species, and carries sharp scalpels at the tail base. It needs a long tank with plenty of swimming room and is prone to marine whitespot.