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Red Sea sailfin tang

Zebrasoma desjardinii

Also known as Desjardini Sailfin Tang, Indian Ocean Sailfin Tang, Indian Sailfin Tang

SaltwaterFish

Red Sea sailfin tang (Zebrasoma desjardinii)
Hectonichus · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
15.7 in
40 cm
Minimum tank
180 gal
680 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Acanthuridae
Origin
Red Sea and Indian Ocean reefs, from East Africa to Indonesia

Overview

The Red Sea sailfin tang is a large, tall-finned surgeonfish for a big reef tank. It is best kept by someone with a little reef experience.

Did you know

Red Sea populations of this normally herbivorous tang have been seen picking at moon jellies and comb jellies drifting past the reef. It is an odd bit of opportunistic predation for a fish that spends most of its day grazing algae off rock.

Caring for the Red Sea sailfin tang

Give a Red Sea sailfin tang at least 180 gal (680 L), with a long open swimming lane and plenty of algae-coated rock to graze. Its tall dorsal and anal fins need real width as well as length to turn around comfortably. A tall, narrow setup suits it far less well.

Keep the water stable at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Like other tangs, it can develop marine ich when stressed, so quarantine new fish.

Its diet is almost entirely algae based. Offer nori or dried seaweed at least three times a week, and daily if you can. Regular feeding keeps its color and immune system in good shape and curbs the aggression that often flares when it is underfed.

The Red Sea sailfin tang is territorial toward its own species and other Zebrasoma tangs, but generally peaceful with unrelated fish. Keep only one per tank unless the aquarium is large enough to break sightlines. It is reef safe with corals and invertebrates.

Good to know

Zebrasoma desjardinii carries the same folding tail spine as other surgeonfish, tucked into a groove near the base of the tail. It can raise its oversized, sail-like dorsal and anal fins to nearly double its apparent body size. It does this to threaten a rival or intimidate a tank mate. It is one of the larger Zebrasoma species. It was long treated as a subspecies of the similar-looking Pacific sailfin tang before taxonomists split it into its own species.

In the wild

Red Sea sailfin tangs live on lagoon and seaward reefs across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, from East Africa to Indonesia. They range down to about 30 m, and juveniles favor sheltered shallows.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Red Sea sailfin tang is a mostly peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Red Sea sailfin tang need?

A Red Sea sailfin tang needs at least 180 gal (680 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Red Sea sailfin tang need?

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

What does a Red Sea sailfin tang eat?

A Red Sea sailfin tang eats an almost entirely algae-based diet. Offer it nori or dried seaweed at least three times a week, and daily if you can.

How big does a Red Sea sailfin tang get?

An adult Red Sea sailfin tang reaches about 15.7 in (40 cm).

Related species