Black-Barred Zebra Tang

Some fish are seen more than others, reasons could be actual rarity, depth, political turmoil or even pirates among others! When that rare fish shows up, especially at QM, there is always pure excitement and the rare and beautiful Black-Barred Zebra Tang (Acanthurus polyzona) is no exception. They are likely the rarest surgeonfish to grace an aquarium. This surgeon is native to the Western Indian Ocean near Madagascar, Comoro Islands, Mauritius and the Reunion Islands; a distribution nearly identical to the Gem Tang. The Zebra Tang is a beautiful tang with thick black barring and tribal tattoos on its face. They stay smaller than many other tangs, even other Acanthurus tangs at a max observed size of 5 inches. This is definitely a grazing fish and will continue do well with regular algae in their diet.