Indian Sailfin Tang swimming over a golden coral landscape

Indian Sailfin Tang swimming over a golden coral landscape

Indian Sailfin Tang swimming over the corals, its distinct stripes and spots shining out in the rays of light descending from above the reef. Beautiful golden corals rising from the sea bed in an assortment of shapes and sizes, resembling a lunar landscape. Tangs are part of an extended family of fish including surgeonfish, unicorn fish and tangs, all with extremely sharp scalpel-like spines on either side of their tails. However despite their lethal spines, they are grazers, feeding mostly on algae growing on coral reefs.

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Indian Sailfin Tang Facts
Other names: Indian Sailfin Surgeonfish, Desjardin's Sailfin Tang, Red Sea Sailfin Tang
Scientific name: Zebrasoma desjardinii
Family: Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes)
Max. size: 40 cm
Depth: 3 - 30 metres
Diet: Grazer
Habitat: Lagoons, Seaward reefs, sheltered inner reefs
Distribution: Indian Ocean: Red Sea south to Natal, South Africa and east to India, Java, and Cocos-Keeling Islands, but not Christmas Island.
Conservation: Least Concern