
Yellow tang
Zebrasoma flavescens
A flat yellow leaf from the side, almost invisible head-on.
The Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) is a tropical marine fish of the family Acanthuridae. It lives on and around reefs, between 2 and 46 m deep. Adults grow to about 18 cm; the largest on record measured 20 cm (total length). In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 180 cm long and water at 23–27 °C.
- Size
- 18 cm
- Smallest tank
- 180 cm
- Temperature
- 23–27 °C
- Care
- Moderate
In the aquarium
Temperature23–27 °C
pH7.8–8.5
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Activity
- Busy
- Water layer
- Mid water
- Group
- Lives on its own
- Coral
- Reef safe
These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.
Which tank it fits
- Nano60 cm · 65 litresToo small
- Standard90 cm · 180 litresToo small
- Wide120 cm · 300 litresToo small
- Living room180 cm · 650 litres26 of them
- Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres48 of them
- Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres57 of them
Who it lives with
Gets along42 species
- Regal angelfish
- Foxface rabbitfish
- Maroon clownfish
- Copperband butterflyfish
- Longnose butterflyfish
- Diamond watchman goby
- Lawnmower blenny
- Starry blenny
- Pearlscale butterflyfish
- Aiptasia-eating filefish
- Leopard wrasse
- Picasso triggerfish
- Radiant wrasse
- Cleaner wrasse
- Bicolor blenny
- Yellowhead jawfish
- Pink skunk clownfish
- Randall's shrimpgoby
- Yellow watchman goby
- Fire goby
- Swissguard basslet
- Chalk bass
- Pajama cardinalfish
- Green chromis
Caution53 species
Both semi-aggressive
- Convict tang
- Raccoon butterflyfish
- Dwarf lionfish
- Squarespot anthias
- Threadfin butterflyfish
- Kole tang
- Tomato clownfish
- Lemonpeel angelfish
- Bicolor angelfish
- Scott's fairy wrasse
- Midas blenny
- Longnose hawkfish
- Clarkii clownfish
- Engineer goby
- Valentini puffer
- Flame angelfish
- Coral beauty angelfish
- Potter's angelfish
- Mystery wrasse
- Blackcap basslet
- Rusty angelfish
- Canary blenny
- Striped fang blenny
- Neon dottyback
- Bartlett's anthias
- Clownfish
- Flame hawkfish
- Orchid dottyback
- Banggai cardinalfish
- Percula clownfish
- Cherub angelfish
- Sixline wrasse
- Falco hawkfish
- Yellowtail damselfish
- Azure damselfish
- Naso tang
- French angelfish
- Porcupine puffer
- Volitans lionfish
- Niger triggerfish
Crowding the same layer
Narrow shared temperature range
Not together4 species
These two do not get along
In the wild
- Water type
- Marine
- Climate zone
- Tropical
- Habitat
- Coral and rocky reefs
- Largest on record
- 20 cmtotal length
- Aquarium trade
- Traded commercially
Depth
surface
2 m46 m
Conservation status
Classification
- OrderAcanthuriformes
- FamilyAcanthuridae
- GenusZebrasoma
- SpeciesZebrasoma flavescens
- Described byBennett, 1828
In other languages
- German
- Gelber Segelflossendoktor
- Spanish
- Pez cirujano amarillo del Pacífico
- French
- Chirurgien jaune
- Italian
- Pesce chirurgo giallo
- Dutch
- gele zeilvindoktersvis
- Russian
- Желтая зебрасома
- Japanese
- キイロハギ
- Chinese
- 黃高鰭刺尾魚
Quick answers
- Yellow tang size: how big does it get?
- Adults reach about 18 cm. The largest on record measured 20 cm (total length). The smallest of the 6 Zebrasoma species on LumaReef (Indian Sailfin Tang is the largest, 40 cm).
- Yellow tang tank size: what is the minimum?
- A tank at least 180 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Living room tank or larger.
- Yellow tang water parameters: what does it need?
- Temperature 23–27 °C, pH 7.8–8.5. Close to what most Zebrasoma on LumaReef need (23–27 °C).
- Yellow tang tank mates: what can it live with?
- It gets along with 42 of the 99 reef species in the catalogue, such as Regal angelfish, Foxface rabbitfish, and Maroon clownfish.
- Yellow tang: alone or in a group?
- It can be kept on its own.
- Yellow tang and corals: is it reef safe?
- Yes, it leaves corals alone.
- Yellow tang depth: how deep does it live?
- In the wild, 2 to 46 m down. Close to most Zebrasoma on LumaReef (0–45 m).
Similar species
Sources
Yellow tang: compiled from these references.









