Bignose Unicornfish

Facts about Vlamingi Tang fish "Scientific name for Bignose Unicornfish is Naso vlamingii". Bignose Unicornfish is a variety of fish that comes from the Acanthuridae family. The Bignose Unicornfish varieties are native to the tropical waters of the southwestern Pacific and the Indian Ocean. They are recognized by the common names, such as Naso vlamingii, Vlaming's unicornfish, scibbled unicornfish and zebra unicornfish. The Bignose Unicornfish attain its name because it has a projection similar to a horn on its forehead.

Region of the Bignose Unicornfish

The Bignose Unicornfish breed is largely found in the Indo-Pacific Sea off the shores of East Africa, southern Japan, on the islands of the Tuamotu and Marquesas, and in the southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef. Most frequently, the Bignose Unicornfish variety is found in association with coastal lagoons and reefs, occasionally in small schools.

Features of the Bignose Unicornfish

The Bignose Unicornfish breed is a big size fish in its family and capable of attaining a maximum body length of 24 inches (61 cm) when matured. The adult Bignose Unicornfish has tall anal and dorsal fins, with perpendicular blue lines on both sides of its body, and small blue marks ventrally and dorsally. A wide blue colored band extends from its eyes to its prominent nose. Juveniles have a dingy green colored body, with blue colored marks and lips, and afterward they change into deeper blue with purple colored spots. The Bignose Unicornfish breed changes its color to mud-brown during sleeping or while scared, a form of mask.
The Bignose Unicornfish variety has a circular bulbous nose. At the foot of the tail of the fish, there are two pairs of permanent, bony plates that protrude sideways similar to sharp knives, and the Bignose Unicornfish can impose a grave wound on a prospective predator. The Bignose Unicornfish breed prefers sheer reef slopes where it can eat zooplankton in the open water.

Diet of the Bignose Unicornfish

Though Bignose Unicornfish breeds are herbivorous, they feed on small crustaceans, such as brine shrimp, copepods and Mysid shrimp in the wild. However, algae are the majority of their natural diet. During the day, the Bignose Unicornfish feed on small fish.

Aquarium care of the Bignose Unicornfish

Test the water when preparing your tank for your Bignose Unicornfish: You will need to purchase a liquid tester so that you can test for Nitrates and Ammonia. The strip-style test kits are unreliable and a waste of money. You should use a dechlorinating product to remove the harmful chlorine from the water. Test for nitrite, ammonia, and proper pH 8.2 to 8.4. The ammonia should always be 0, the nitrite should be 0, and the nitrate should preferably be below 20 ppm. If it's at or above 40 parts per million (ppm), you have too many fish or are not changing the water often enough. Cycling your tank is important, Follow the steps to cycle your tank. This establishes healthy bacterial and chemical levels.
Remove 30% of the water from your fish tank each month with new water, or a 15% water change every 2 weeks is ideal for keeping nitrates lower. With corals in the fish tank, then 20% water change every month, or 10% change every 2 weeks.

The estimated lifespan of the Bignose Unicornfish fish breed is 45 years.