Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Acanthuridae Geography / Habitat: The Twotone Tang or Brown Sailfin Tang was described by Cuvier in 1829. They are found in the Indo-Pacific from east Africa to Japan and Tuamotu. In their natural habitat they are found at depths between 3 to 197 feet (1 - 60 meters) in lagoons and outer reefs. They inhabit areas of dense coral and occur singly, in pairs or in small groups, even forming schools in some locations. Juveniles are solitary and very secretive, hiding among the corals. It is very similar to its close relative the Yellow Tang Z. flavescens, which has an all yellow body with a white peduncle spine. These two species co-occur and interbreed in Micronesia and southern Japan. As they co-habitat in many areas and behave the same, it has not been ruled out that the Z. flavescens may actually be a xanthic form of theTwotone Tang, or possibly a geographic variant Life Strategy: Triggerfishes live singly, as pairs, in small groups or in schools. They are demersal spawners and are typically highly territorial during courtship and spawning. Many species build nests, some scatter their eggs and most aggressively defend their spawns. Spawning generally takes place in the early morning, with the spawn size ranging from thousands to millions of eggs, depending on the species. The demersal eggs are small (0.45 to 0.65 mm, depending on the species), spherical, and adhesive and contain multiple oil droplets. Embryos hatch in the evening. Food / Feed Strategy: The Twotone Tangs are primarily herbivores. In the wild they feed mainly on filamentous algae which they scrape from hard surfaces. This genus can store fat in their body cavities so may go through periods of non-feeding. In the aquarium the majority of their intake will be vegetable matter, but they do need some meaty foods as well. Provide lots of marine algae, prepared frozen formulas containing algae or spirulina, frozen brine and mysid shrimp, and flake foods. Japanese Nori or other seaweed can be adhered to the aquarium glass with a vegetable clip. An occasional live rock with micro and macro organisms will be greatly appreciated. Culturing macro algae like chaetomorphia in the tank is also a great idea. Feed 3 times a day in smaller amounts instead of a large quantity once a day. As continuous grazers, they will benefit from this and it will also keep the water quality higher over a longer period of time. Body Form or Style: The Twotone Tang or Brown Sailfin Tang has a disk like shaped body similar to all surgeonfish, but with large dorsal and anal fins. When the fins are fully extended, the total height of these fish is about the same as the length. Like all the sailfin tangs, they have a slightly extended snout. The general coloration is dark yellowish brown with pale blue squiggly or dotted horizontal lines. They can be quite variable in color; they can be almost black looking, to brownish or yellow, and on rare occasions there are mutations with several different color splotches across the fish.
Swim / Locomotion Style: Mouth Position: Citation: http://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/tangs/brown.php