Sohal Tang

Acanthurus sohal

Also known as Sohal Surgeonfish, Red Sea Surgeonfish, Majestic Surgeonfish, Zebra Surgeonfish

SaltwaterFish

Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal) — Andrew Deacon · CC0

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: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Common
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Red Sea and western Indian Ocean including the Gulf of Aden and Persian Gulf, on surge-swept seaward reef edges.
Family: Acanthuridae

Overview

Give a single sohal an aggressive-community tank of at least 680 litres with long open swimming lanes, keeping temperature 24 to 28 C and pH 8.1 to 8.4. It is one of the most territorial tangs, so add it last and pair it only with fish that can defend themselves. Feed heavily on dried seaweed, spirulina and marine algae with some meaty foods. It grazes nuisance algae and leaves corals alone, but its aggression, not coral safety, is the reason to plan carefully.

In the wild

The sohal tang lives along the shallow reef front where wave surge is strongest, feeding through the day on filamentous algae and Sargassum. Adults hold and defend large feeding territories against other grazers. It is a powerful open-water swimmer that patrols the same stretch of reef daily. Both dorsal and ventral scalpels near the tail base are large and used in fights.

Good to know

Acanthurus sohal is one of the larger Acanthurus species, reaching about 40 cm. Like all surgeonfish it carries a hinged blade on each side of the tail base for defense. It is endemic to the Red Sea and surrounding waters.