Blonde Lipstick Naso Tang - Naso elegans

Blonde Lipstick Naso Tang (Naso elegans)

The Blonde Lipstick Naso Tang is a large, elegant surgeonfish admired for its grey-brown to bluish body, bright orange lips, yellow dorsal highlights and, in mature males, trailing tail streamers. Native to the western Indian Ocean, it is an active open-water grazer that needs substantial swimming room and a mature marine system to thrive. Because of its eventual size and constant activity level, it is best suited to larger aquaria rather than average home reef setups.

Common Name:
Blonde Lipstick Naso Tang. It is also commonly sold as the Blonde Naso Tang or Elegant Unicornfish.

Scientific Name (Latin):
Naso elegans

Maximum Size:
Up to 45 cm in length.

Water Type:
Marine.

Origin / Natural Habitat:
Found in the western Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea and surrounding region. It inhabits coastal and sheltered reef flats and is also recorded over rocky bottoms at around 5–30 metres, often in small groups or schools in oceanic locations.

Water Parameters:
Temperature: 22–26°C
pH Range: 8.1–8.4
Salinity: 1.020–1.025 SG

Temperament:
Semi-aggressive. It is usually peaceful with dissimilar fish, but can be aggressive towards other tangs, especially other large Naso tangs or in aquaria without enough space.

Diet:
Primarily herbivorous / algivorous. In the wild it feeds on benthic algae, and in captivity it should be offered plenty of marine algae, nori, spirulina-based foods and algae pellets, with occasional meaty foods as a supplement rather than the main diet.

Minimum Tank Size:
700 litres minimum is a sensible long-term recommendation, though larger systems are strongly preferable for adults.

Behaviour & Activity:
A highly active, open-water grazer that spends much of the day swimming and browsing for algae. This species needs abundant open swimming space and generally does best when not cramped by rockwork-heavy layouts or undersized tanks.

Reef Safe:
Reef Safe
This species is widely regarded as safe with corals and invertebrates. The main compatibility concern is usually aggression towards other surgeonfish rather than damage to reef livestock.

Special Requirements or Care Notes:
Best kept in a well-established marine aquarium with excellent oxygenation, strong water movement, open swimming room and regular access to algae-based foods. A tight-fitting lid is also wise, and like other tangs it should be handled carefully because of the sharp caudal spines near the tail.

Suitable for:
Intermediate to Experienced fishkeepers. This is an inference based on its moderate care rating, adult size and large tank requirement.

Availability:
Occasional in trade. Some retailers stock it regularly, but it is also described as less commonly seen than more standard tang species.

All images are a visual representation of the fish you will receive, made to be as accurate as possible. Please note that Mother Nature is a wonderful thing, and variation in patterns and colours will occur — that is part of the unique beauty of these animals.