Spotted Unicornfish

Naso brevirostris

Also known as Palefin Unicornfish, Shortnose Unicornfish, Brown Unicornfish, Spotted Unicorn Tang

SaltwaterFish

Spotted Unicornfish (Naso brevirostris) — Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–81°F (24–27°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 21.7 in (55 cm)
Minimum tank: 343 gal (1,300 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Common
Reef safe: Reef safe
Origin: Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa to French Polynesia, feeding in mid-water over outer reef slopes.
Family: Acanthuridae

Overview

This is a very large mid-water swimmer that needs at least 1300 litres of open room and steady flow at 24 to 27 C. Feed a mix of nori and macroalgae plus meaty foods like mysis to match its planktivorous adult diet. It ignores corals and invertebrates but can be sensitive if space and diet are not right. Best kept singly in show-sized systems only.

In the wild

Spotted unicornfish hang in mid-water above the outer slope and pick drifting plankton and algae as adults, unlike the bottom-grazing habits of many tangs. Adults develop a forward-pointing horn on the forehead. They are large, active swimmers that need open water. Coloration shifts between brown, grey and blue depending on mood.

Good to know

Naso brevirostris grows to roughly 55 to 60 cm and develops its horn with maturity. Adults feed largely on gelatinous zooplankton in the water column. It can rapidly change body color, a common trait among Naso species.