Naso

Naso vlamingii

(Valenciennes, 1835)

Bignose Unicornfish

Likely Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: East Africa to the Galapagos Islands, north to Southern Japan, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef, and New Caledonia.

Size: 24 inches (60 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits deep lagoons and seaward reefs where it forms large schools and usually found at depths between 3 - 150 feet (1 - 45 m) where it feeds mainly on zooplankton.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade having a bluish grey body, blue spots, dark dorsal, anal and tail fins, blue lines from the snout to the eyes, blue lips, and bright blue on the caudal peduncle. And also somewhat long streamers in the upper and lower tail lobes.

Best maintained in well-established reef or fish-only aquariums having wide-open swimming areas as those in this genus are mid water swimmers, and preferably with copious amounts of microalgae. Tankmates should be non-fin-nipping, peaceful species.

Requires a varied vegetable diet, including Spirulina, zucchini, broccoli, dried seaweed (Nori), and enriched vegetable flakes, and also some frozen meaty foods for planktivores, and requires three or four feedings per day.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Acanthuroidei

Family: Acanthuridae

Genus: Naso

FYI: One per tank.

Has a sharp forward pointing spine on each side of the caudal peduncle, which is fixed in an outward position, i.e., does not fold into a groove, as with other species in this family. Can cause damage to the hands of its keeper if handled carelessly and its best not to net this species, simply use a large clear plastic container to capture it when transferring it to another aquarium.

May quarrel with other species in its genus.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Herbivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: Yes

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 350 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 - 27°C)