TankBud

Purple tang

Zebrasoma xanthurum

Also known as Yellowtail Sailfin Tang, Yellowtail Tang

SaltwaterFish

Purple tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
Gdiggers · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
9.8 in
25 cm
Minimum tank
106 gal
400 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Acanthuridae
Origin
Red Sea and western Indian Ocean

Overview

The purple tang is a hardy algae grazer and one of the classic Red Sea reef fish. It is a good choice once you have a little experience.

Did you know

Despite the deep purple adult color, a juvenile purple tang can look almost blue-purple. The color deepens as it matures.

Caring for the purple tang

Give a purple tang at least 106 gal (400 L), with long, open swimming lanes and live rock covered in algae to browse. It roams constantly, and strong flow and high oxygen suit it well.

Keep the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed dried marine algae such as nori on a clip every day, in addition to whatever it grazes off the rock. It is reef safe with corals.

The purple tang is one of the pushier Zebrasoma tangs, especially toward other tangs and similarly shaped fish. It often lives in loose groups on the wild reef but turns territorial in a tank. Keep only one per tank and add it last. Avoid pairing it with yellow or scopas tangs unless the system is very large.

Good to know

Zebrasoma xanthurum carries a scalpel-sharp, retractable spine on each side of the tail base, the surgeonfish hallmark. It uses the spine in disputes, and it can inflict a nasty cut on a careless handler. Its deep purple body and contrasting yellow tail make it one of the few solid-purple reef fish. The color comes from structural and pigment cells rather than diet.

In the wild

Purple tangs come from the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the western Indian Ocean. They graze filamentous algae over shallow rocky reefs and coral flats.

Common questions

What size tank does a purple tang need?

A purple tang needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a purple tang need?

A purple tang is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a purple tang eat?

A purple tang eats dried marine algae such as nori, offered on a clip every day. It also grazes algae off the rock.

How big does a purple tang get?

An adult purple tang reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).

Related species