The Gem Tang (Zebrasoma gemmatum), also known as the Gemmatum Tang or Spotted Tang, is a gorgeous and highly-prized fish with stunning black body and a galaxy of vibrant white spots. A vibrant yellow tail and yellow accents on the pectoral fins injects a burst of color for added visual excitement.
They are considered rather easy to moderate to keep just like many of the other commonly available Zebrasoma tangs. Acclimate them to your tank (or even better, use a quarantine tank) over an period of an hour or two and keep a skunk cleaner shrimp or red fire shrimp with them to protect your investment.
Similar to many other Tangs and Surgeonfish, the Gem Tang can be a bit aggressive towards conspecifics and do not fare well with tank mates of similar body shape, especially other Tangs of the genus Zebrasoma. If you are lucky enough to come by one, be sure to provide good lighting, lots of free-swimming space and plenty of potential hiding spots.
The Gem Tang can be found in the Western Indian Ocean off the coast of Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar and near the islands of Reunion and Mauritius. This spectacular Tang comes from deeper waters, near reefs at depths of 30 to 200 feet and surge zones which make collecting this fish challenging. It's rarely collected and hardly ever seen in the aquarium trade. As a result, the Gem Tang commands a higher price.
The Gem Tang is an herbivore so they need to be given marine seaweed on a regular basis. I feed my tangs nori daily and mix in thawed finely chopped marine origin meaty foods (like Rod's foods or similar), along with a high quality pellet food.
