How related are they?
Same family, Acanthuridae (Surgeonfishes and tangs): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Convict Tang belongs to Acanthurus (Acanthurus surgeonfishes), the Yellow Tang to Zebrasoma (Sailfin tangs).
Find the Convict Tang on the tree · Find the Yellow Tang on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Convict Tang | Yellow Tang |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Chordata Chordates | |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata Vertebrates | |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata jawed vertebrates | |
| Parvphylum | Osteichthyes bony fishes | |
| Gigaclass | Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes | |
| Superclass | Actinopteri | |
| Class | Teleostei Teleost fishes | |
| Order | Acanthuriformes Surgeonfishes, angelfishes and kin | |
| Family | Acanthuridae Surgeonfishes and tangs | |
| Genus split | Acanthurus Acanthurus surgeonfishes | Zebrasoma Sailfin tangs |
| Species | Acanthurus triostegus Convict Tang | Zebrasoma flavescens Yellow Tang |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Convict Tang | Yellow Tang |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Tang | Fish · Tang |
| Care level | Moderate | Moderate |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Semi-aggressive |
| Diet | Herbivore | Herbivore |
| Favorite foods | Dried seaweed (nori) on a clip, Spirulina and herbivore flakes or pellets, Frozen herbivore foods | Dried marine seaweed sheets (nori, red, green and brown algae) on a clip, Spirulina and algae-based pellets and flakes, Frozen herbivore formulas |
| Max size | 10.6 in (27 cm) | 8 in (20 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 125 gal | 125 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.025 | 1.020–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | — | 0–30 ppm |
| Lifespan | Not documented in the sources we checked; no published longevity study or reliable captive lifespan figure was found. | Very long-lived for an aquarium fish: wild yellow tangs in Hawaii have been aged at up to 41 years from growth rings in their ear stones (otoliths). With good care, aquarium specimens can live well over a decade, but solid published data on captive lifespan are limited. |
| Breeding | Very hard | Very hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Least Concern |