Sailfin Tang – Zebrasoma veliferum – Small

The Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma veliferum**) has brown, white and orange vertical stripes throughout its body and its large dorsal and anal fins. The tail is yellow in young fish but darkens with ages and becomes striped in fish from some regions. Found throughout the Pacific Ocean and Mozambique in the Indian Ocean, this fish is very similar to the Red Sea Sailfin Tang (Z. desjardinii) which is from the Red Sea and a larger area i nthe Indian Ocean. Z. desjardinii has spotted fins and a spotted tail while Z. veliferum has a more strongly striped coloration.

Tangs and Surgeonfish are some of the most popular and common fish found in the aquarium trade. This group includes several genuses that can be associated with the various common name groups although \