Sailfin Tang

Zebrasoma veliferum

Bislamastrongskin— names this kind of animal, not this species alone

commonwhiteyellowbrownbarredsolitarymediumreef

Habitat: Reef
Max size: 48 cm
Depth: 2-30 m
Family: Acanthuridae

The sailfin tang, the Pacific sailfin tang, purple sailfinned tang or sailfin surgeonfish, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Acanthuridae which includes the surgeonfishes, unicornfishes and tangs. This fish is found in the Pacific Ocean and is popular in the aquarium hobby.

Adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side, with what tells them apart.

Two tangs with a long snout and tall, sail-like fins. Sailfin Tang is boldly barred, wide brown bars between narrow yellow ones, with a white head spotted in yellow and a dark bar through the eye, and its fins are so tall that, spread, the fish is as high as it is long. Twotone Tang is plain brown, paler at the head and darkening to near black at the tail, with a white spine on the tail base. Young twotones show faint yellowish bars at the front, which is when they look most alike.

See the Twotone Tang →

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