The yellow tang has a long pointed snout and large dorsal and anal fins. Males tend to be bigger than females.
Habitat
Inshore coral reefs, protected bays and lagoons
Diet
Algae
Life History
In West Hawaii, yellow tang migrate away from shallow foraging habitat at sunset to spawn in deeper coral-rich habitat. Each evening males return to the same temporary spawning ground and court passing females.
An average adult yellow tang female can produce over a million eggs per year.
Eggs and sperm are released into the water. Once eggs hatch, the larvae float and continue to grow. At about 62 days old they settle on deep coral reef areas.
When yellow tang reach adulthood they leave the deeper coral reef areas for shallow reef habitat.
Females reach adulthood at 4-5 years old while males reach adulthood at 5-7 years old. The oldest yellow tang recorded was 41 years old.
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Ecosystem & Cultural Importance
Yellow tang play an important role in keeping algae from overtaking coral reefs.
Found in the central and western Pacific from the Hawaiian Islands and Johnston Island to the Marshall Islands, Wake, Mariana Islands, Philippines, Ogasawara and Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Also found in southern Taiwan. Abundant in Hawaii but rare elsewhere in its range.
The yellow tang will interbreed with a similar species of fish called Zebrasoma scopas, known as the brushtail tang. This occurs in instances where the yellow tang is rare, like in the Marshall Islands.
Citations
McIlwain, J., J.H. Choat, R. Abesamis, K.D. Clements, R. Myers, C. Nanola, L.A. Rocha, B. Russell & B. Stockwell. 2012. Zebrasoma flavescens. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.
Myers, R. F. 1989. Micronesian reef fishes: a practical guide to the identification of the coral reef fishes of the tropical central and western Pacific. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Territory of Guam, U.S.A.
Schemmel, E. 2021. Size at maturity for yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) from the Oahu, HI, aquarium fishery. Environmental Biology of Fishes 104:1139–1147.
Randall, J. E. 1998. Shore fishes of Hawaiʻi. University of Hawaiʻi Press, Honolulu.
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