Yellow tang

Women‍‍`s Corner
June 21, 2022

The yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) is a saltwater fish species of the family Acanthuridae. It is one of the most popular marine aquarium fish. It is bright yellow in color, and it lives on reefs. The yellow tang spawn around a full moon. The yellow tang eats algae. The yellow tang has a white barb, located just before the tail fin, to protect itself.

Family: Acanthuridae

Origin: Central and South Pacific

Minimum: Tank Size 55 gallons

Diet: Dried and frozen herbivore food

Breeding: Group spawner

Care: Easy to moderate

pH: 8.1 to 8.4

Temperature: 72 to 82 F

Even though the yellow tang is considered endemic to Hawaiian waters, its distribution extends from the Hawaiian area, including Johnston Island, westward through the northern Marshall Islands to Wake, Marcus, Guam, and other Marianas Islands.

The habitat of this fish is from inside the reef out to depths of 100 feet or more. The larger specimens seem to stay in the shallow waters near the reef, while the juveniles usually prefer the deeper waters where finger corals are present.

Yellow tangs start life as clear larvae before developing their distinctive narrow, oval-shaped, bright yellow body. They have long snouts and seven fins including their spiny dorsal and anal fins. They also have a sharp white spine on both sides of their tails which they can use to fight or defend themselves.

Surprisingly, yellow tang actually change color over the course of the day. During the daylight hours, yellow tang are bright yellow all over except along their spines. At night, their color changes to a dark, grayish-yellow with a white lateral stripe (sometimes called a "nocturnal stripe").

The yellow tang is covered in mucus, which it secretes from its skin. The mucus forms a protective layer that keeps away parasites and bacteria. The mucus also makes the yellow tang's body less resistant to the water, so it can swim faster.

Information collected from Google.