Red Sea Purple Tang - Zembrasoma xanthurum

Red Sea Purple Tang - Zembrasoma xanthurum Picture taken September 2001, Nikon CoolPix 950 Digital Camera, No Flash

Purchased: June 14th, 1998. Nickname: Bashful

This fish is from the Red Sea. I find this fish to be very hardy and well worth its price tag. From time to time it has gotten ich but had no problem clearing itself of it. It reaches a maximum size of around 8 inches, the fish as pictured here is about 5 inches in size.

This fish tends to be shy and quickly hides when someone approaches the tank. Red Sea Purple Tang - Zembrasoma xanthurum (next to clownfish) Picture taken May 2005, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Nikkor 18-70mm DX lens

I’ve had this purple tang for seven years when this picture was taken.

The male clownfish in its host Pink Tipped Elegance makes a nice backdrop for this picture. Red Sea Purple Tang - Zembrasoma xanthurum Picture taken June 2005, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Sigma 105mm EX macro lens

Getting a close up of any surgeon fish can be a difficult tank. Seems the fish is smiling for this one. Wow, what did he eat? Picture taken June 2006, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Nikkor 18-70mm DX lens

Upon my regular nightly inspection I found the tang having some “trouble”.

He had a very large, long and stringy excrement hanging from him. Wow, what did he eat? Picture taken June 2006, Nikon D70 Digital SLR, Nikkor 18-70mm DX lens

I don’t know what he ate. My guess is some macro algae from the sump made it to the display tank. Apparently it still tasted pretty good as the other tang followed him around eating chunks.