The Convict Tang is named for its distinctive pattern: a white or silvery-yellow body marked with six vertical black bars, reminiscent of a prison uniform. They are a schooling species, which is unusual for tangs in the aquarium, and are often seen in large groups grazing on algae in the wild. In the home aquarium, they are active swimmers and voracious herbivores that will help control film algae. They are generally peaceful but, like all surgeonfish, possess a sharp scalpel at their tail and require ample swimming room and a herbivore-rich diet. They are known for being more fragile during acclimation than other tangs.
