Zebrasoma flavescens, Yellow tang : aquarium

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Zebrasoma flavescens (Bennett, 1828)

Yellow tang
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Zebrasoma flavescens   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Zebrasoma flavescens (Yellow tang)
Zebrasoma flavescens
Picture by Randall, J.E.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Acanthuriformes (Surgeonfishes) > Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes) > Acanthurinae
Etymology: Zebrasoma: Derived from Zebra = African horse + Greek, soma = body; referring to the stripes (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Bennett.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 46 m (Ref. 9710), usually 3 - 46 m (Ref. 27115). Tropical; 24°C - 28°C (Ref. 27115); 30°N - 25°S, 105°E - 137°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Pacific Ocean: Ryukyu, Mariana, Marshall, Marcus, Wake and Hawaiian islands. Has been reported off the coast of Florida in the Western Central Atlantic (Ref. 51238).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 6.3  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 23-26; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 19 - 22. bright yellow overall (pale in preservative). Sheath of peduncular spine white. Body very deep, its depth 1.4 to 1.75 times in SL. Snout moderately protruding. Mouth small; teeth spatulate, close-set, the edges denticulate. 12 upper and 14 lower teeth in juveniles, and 18 upper and 22 lower teeth in an adult 15 cm SL (Ref 9808).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Adults inhabit coral-rich areas of lagoon and seaward reefs from below the surge zone to about 46 m (Ref. 9710). Benthopelagic over rock at 1-81 m (Ref. 58302). They occur singly or in loose groups. Mainly herbivorous, browsing on filamentous algae. Group spawning and pair-spawning by territorial males that court passing females were observed. Spawning activity occurs around the full moon indicating lunar periodicity (Ref. 86544). Spawn in batches throughout the year (Ref. 86544). Presence of a venom gland could not be determined despite the presence of distinct anterolateral grooves; this may be due to the loss of venom glands in adults (Ref. 57406). A popular aquarium fish and the top marine fish export from Hawaii.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Paired spawning (Ref. 240). Multiple spawner with reproductive activity occuring around the full moon (Ref. 86544).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Randall, John E. | Collaborators

Myers, R.F., 1991. Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p. (Ref. 1602)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 126983)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 07 May 2010

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
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Ecology
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Common names
Synonyms
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Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
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Spawning
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Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
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Length-weight
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Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
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Larvae
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Ciguatera
Speed
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Gill area
Otoliths
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Tools

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Special reports

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Alien/Invasive Species database | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.9 - 28.9, mean 27.6 °C (based on 614 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5078   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01905 (0.01192 - 0.03047), b=2.98 (2.85 - 3.11), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  2.0   ±0.00 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.25; Fec > 10,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  High vulnerability (57 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 42.4 [19.3, 131.6] mg/100g ; Iron = 0.767 [0.276, 1.877] mg/100g ; Protein = 17.9 [16.6, 19.1] % ; Omega3 = 0.146 [0.068, 0.301] g/100g ; Selenium = 11.4 [3.9, 48.0] μg/100g ; VitaminA = 71.6 [15.4, 300.0] μg/100g ; Zinc = 2.24 [1.00, 3.94] mg/100g (wet weight);