The Pacific Sailfin Tang: A Hardy, Bold Species Demanding Spacious Accommodations

Indo-Pacific sailfin tang (Zebrasoma velifer)The Pacific sailfin tang (Zebrasoma velifer), not to be confused with its Red Sea namesake (Zebrasoma desjardinii), is a fish with many attributes that make it desirable to marine aquarium hobbyists—it’s attractive, hardy, bold, easy to feed, etc. But don’t be deceived by that cute little specimen on display at your LFS. Z. velifer also gets really big rather quickly, so a large tank is essential if you plan to keep this species long term. Physical traitsZ. velifer exhibits the oval body shape, pointed snout, and sail-like dorsal and anal fins typical of the members of its genera. This last characteristic is especially pronounced on Z.