Lopezi tang (Naso lopezi) care guide

Group
Marine fish
Other names
Elongated unicornfish, Slender unicornfish, Lopez' unicornfish
Family
Acanthuridae (surgeonfishes, tangs and unicornfishes)
Origin
Western Pacific, Honshu (Japan) to the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea and New Caledonia; current-swept outer reef slopes usually below 6 m.
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
60 cm
Temperature
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
Salinity SG 1.023–1.026
Care level
expert
Temperament
peaceful
Reef safe
yes

Care

Tank: at up to 60 cm and living in large schools on current-swept outer slopes, this is a fish for public-aquarium-sized systems, not home aquaria. Water: our sources give no species-specific figures, so the values shown (24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4, SG 1.023–1.026) are general marine aquarium guidance, not species-specific. Like other surgeonfish it needs well-oxygenated water with strong flow and stable quality. Behaviour: schools to feed by day, moving between the bottom and open water. Handling: like all surgeonfish it carries a sharp, scalpel-like blade on each side of the tail base that it raises when threatened and that can cut hands deeply. Move it in a container rather than by hand. Trade and status: IUCN: Least Concern. Not CITES-listed. Juveniles can be confused with Naso vlamingii. Selling: our policies require the adult size and long-term tank needs to be stated clearly in the listing. Large fish must travel by a specialist live-animal courier (see the Livestock shipping guide). Sources: Wikipedia, List of marine aquarium fish species (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofmarineaquariumfishspecies); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasolopezi). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Takes mainly comb jellies and crustaceans plus algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates and molluscs, feeding higher in the water column at midday. In captivity it needs a varied mix of meaty plankton-type foods and algae.

Breeding

Our sources give no breeding information; not bred in aquaria.

Compatibility and tank mates

Reef safe and generally peaceful, but needs a huge system with other large, calm fish.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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