White Tail Bristletooth Tang - Large

Add a hard-working algae grazer to your reef with this large Tomini Tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis) — also sold under the names White Tail Bristletooth Tang and Yellow-Eye Tang. Mature specimens show a deep maroon-to-magenta body, vivid yellow eye-ring, lemon-tipped dorsal and anal fins, and a clean white tail. As a bristletooth, this fish picks film and microalgae off rockwork all day long, helping keep your aquascape tidy without nipping coral.

Browse all our saltwater fish or shop the rest of our saltwater section for tank mates, food, and reef supplies.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 70 gallons minimum, 90+ gallons preferred for an adult. Tangs need length to swim — long footprints (4 ft+) beat tall, narrow tanks.
• Water: 72–78°F, pH 8.1–8.4, salinity 1.023–1.025 specific gravity. Keep parameters rock-steady; tangs are sensitive to swings.
• Reef safe: Yes. Tomini Tangs are model reef citizens — they graze algae and ignore corals and inverts.
• Diet: Primarily herbivorous. Offer nori sheets on a clip 1–2x daily, and round out the menu with herbivore-focused frozen and pellet foods like Vitalis Marine Pellets or Rod’s Food Three Weed Blend. A naturally algae-rich tank is the gold standard.
• Tank setup: Plenty of live rock for grazing and hiding, moderate-to-strong flow, and open swimming lanes. Stable, mature tanks (6+ months running) are strongly recommended before adding any tang.
• Quarantine: Tangs are prone to ich and other parasites. We strongly recommend a proper QT period before introduction.

Specifications

This listing is for the Large size grade.

Compatibility

Tomini Tangs are among the most community-friendly tangs available — generally peaceful with non-tang species, and one of the easier tangs to keep in a mid-size reef.

• Good tank mates: clownfish, gobies, blennies, wrasses, anthias, dwarf angels, cardinalfish, and most reef-safe community fish.
• Reef inverts: safe with corals, shrimp, snails, hermits, starfish.
• Avoid: other Ctenochaetus bristletooth tangs (including Two Spot Bristletooth), unless your tank is large (180+ gal) and they’re added together; same-genus rivalries get ugly fast.
• Note: Most tangs do best as the only surgeonfish in the system unless your tank is very large; mixing different genera (Acanthurus, Zebrasoma, Naso, Paracanthurus) can work in 125+ gal reefs with careful introductions.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• BRS Nori Seaweed Sheets + Sea Veggies Floating Clip — daily algae offering
• Rod’s Food Three Weed Blend — mixed seaweed frozen blend
• Vitalis Marine Pellets 1mm — quality marine staple
• Piscine Energetics PE Pellets, 2mm — high-protein supplement
• Mexican Turbo Snail & Emerald Crab — cleanup crew teammates
• Browse salt mixes · water testing kits · all fish food

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same fish as the “White Tail Yellow Eye Tang”?
Yes — “White Tail Yellow Eye Tang” is a popular trade name for Ctenochaetus tominiensis, the same species as the Tomini Bristletooth Tang.

Will it eat my corals?
No. Tomini Tangs are reef safe and ignore corals and inverts. Their bristle-like teeth are designed for scraping fine algae and detritus off rockwork, not picking at coral flesh.

Can I keep it with other tangs?
Generally not another bristletooth (Ctenochaetus) species in a smaller tank. Different genera (yellow tang, kole, hippo, naso) can sometimes coexist in 125+ gallon systems if introduced together and tank space allows.

What does “Large” mean for size?
This listing is for our wholesaler’s Large size grade — typically a fully-coloring sub-adult ready to settle into a display reef. Exact size will vary slightly per individual.

Local pickup only?
Yes. Squeaky’s Aquatics livestock is sold for in-store pickup at our Georgia showroom only.