Adult fish can grow to in length, and in thickness. Adult males tend to be larger than females. Yellow tang are bright yellow in color. At night, the yellow coloring fades slightly, and a prominent brownish patch develops in the middle with a horizontal white band. They rapidly resume their bright yellow color during daylight. It's important to be aware, however, that Yellow Tang can be aggressive, are prone to the fish disease called "ich," and may damage coral your reef tank. Male and female yellow tang look very similar. When mating, however, males change color and have a "shimmering" behavior which makes them identifiable.
Food
In the wild, yellow tang feed on benthicturf algae and other marine plant material. In captivity they are commonly fed meat/fish based aquarium food, but the long term health effects of this diet are questionable. However, most experts in the marine aquarium industry express little skepticism that such a well rounded and balanced diet including plant and animal material would be in any way detrimental to mostly herbivorous fishes like tangs, since they still need on occasion, complex amino acids and nutrients that only ocean animals can provide. In the wild, yellow tang provide cleaner services to marine turtles, by removing algal growth from their shells.
Distribution and habitat
It is commonly found in shallow reefs, from deep, in the Pacific Ocean, west of Hawaii and east of Japan. Hawaii is the most common place for aquarium harvesting, where up to 70% of the yellow tangs for the aquarium industry are sourced from. Over 70% of the yellow tang's natural range is protected from collection and fishing. The yellow tang is listed as "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The yellow tang has been recorded in waters around Florida, where it is not native.
In the aquarium
The yellow tang is very commonly kept as a saltwater aquarium fish. In 2015, researchers successfully bred them in captivity. Captive-bred yellow tangs are now routinely available for purchase at fish stores and online vendors. Other species of tangs have also been successfully bred in captivity. They can grow up to in the wild, but are introduced to aquariums in the 2" to 4" range. Some specimens as large as 6" are occasionally available. Life expectancy in the wild can exceed 30 years.
