You can sponsor this page

Zebrasoma velifer  (Bloch, 1795)

Sailfin tang
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2100
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Zebrasoma velifer   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
Pictures | Videos     Stamps, Coins | Google image
Image of Zebrasoma velifer (Sailfin tang)
Zebrasoma velifer
Picture by Macaraig, J.M.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes, tangs, unicornfishes) > Acanthurinae
Etymology: Zebrasoma: Derived from Zebra = African horse + Greek, soma = body; referring to the stripes (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 45 m (Ref. 90102), usually 2 - 30 m (Ref. 27115).   Tropical; 24°C - 28°C (Ref. 27115), preferred ?; 36°N - 25°S, 33°E - 134°W

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

Western Indian Ocean: Mozambique (Ref. 41878). Pacific Ocean: Indonesia to the Hawaiian and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia, and Rapa Island. Replaced by the similar Zebrasoma desjardinii in the Indian Ocean.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 40.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 4 - 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 29-33; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 23 - 26. Smalls juveniles have alternating yellow and black bars. No brush-like patch of setae posteriorly on side of body. Dorsal fin very elevated, the longest ray 2.1 to 2.5 times in SL (Ref 9808).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Occurs in lagoon and seaward reefs from the lower surge zone to a depth of at least 30 m. Solitary juveniles found among rocks or coral (Ref. 58534) of shallow protected, sometimes turbid reefs (Ref. 1602, 48637). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on leafy macroalgae. It possesses, fewer and larger pharyngeal teeth, compared to the other Zebrasoma spp. (Ref. 33204). The species is never poisonous (Ref. 4795).

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

Paired spawning (Ref. 240).

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

Myers, R.F., 1999. Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia, 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 p. (Ref. 37816)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless




Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

More information

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion
Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Download XML

Internet sources

Alien/Invasive Species database | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | Faunafri | Fishes of Iran | Fishtrace | GenBank(genome, nucleotide) | GloBI | GOBASE | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Scirus | SeaLifeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia(Go, Search) | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805):  PD50 = 0.5078   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02399 (0.01473 - 0.03906), b=2.94 (2.80 - 3.08), 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. 69278):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.282; Tmax=27).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (37 of 100) .
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.