Description

The Purple Tangfish or Yellowtail Tangfish (Zebrasoma Xanthurum), is a species of reef Surgeonfish in the family Acanthuridae. Purple Tangfish or Yellowtail Tangfish grow to a maximum length near 9.8″ inches. Their bodies are purple in color with a yellow tail. The heads of Purple Tangfish or Yellowtail Tangfish are covered with black spots, and black horizontal lines run down the sides of the bodies of some specimens. The center of their bodies are sometimes a darker color of purple relative to the rest of their bodies. On most specimens, the tips of their pectoral fins are yellow.

Like all members of the genus Zebrasoma, Purple Tangfish or Yellowtail Tangfish have large dorsal and anal fins and an extended snout that is used to forage for algae within rocks. When the dorsal and anal fins are fully extended, the fish looks like a disk. As typical of all Surgeonfish, Purple Tangfish or Yellowtail Tangfish have sharp spines on each side of their caudal peduncle, which are used for defense.