Zebrasoma veliferum
| Identification | In the juvenile stage the body is of a medium brown color, the stripes are a bright yellow color, with some of the bright yellow color distributed through its fins, tail, and nose. When in the adult stage the body is a brownish-olive color, and the yellow stripes turn a pail yellow, with a golden yellow tail. |
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| Maximum Length | Attains a length of 13-14 inches. |
| Origin | Indo-Pacific, Red Sea |
| Minimum Tank Size | 135 Gal. |
| Reef Compatibility | The Sailfin Tang makes an excellent marine reef aquarium fish since it will graze on macro algae and other green algae, but will leave the invertebrates alone. If underfed may nip at corals. |
Behavior
The Sailfin Tang is one of the most personable fish you can find. They are extremely smart, and are fun to have in your aquarium. This species is normally peaceful, although larger specimens can be aggressive. Further, aggression may occur with other tang species.
Diet & Feeding
Must receive a diet rich in vegetable matter. Provide a varied diet, mostly of vegetable matter. Feed dried and frozen herbivore foods that contain marine algae and the blue-green algae Spirlina. Supplement with dried green algae stripes daily. This species will accept a variety of prepared foods, but special care should be taken in providing it with a good deal of green algae
Cautions
Like most fish in the Tang Family, they are a fish that do not play well with other Sailfin Tangs. They are very territorial, so if you put two of them together they will fight. Because of the razor/spur by the tail, when they fight they will cut each other up. It is not advised putting more than one to a tank.