This month, we are featuring the beautiful, bright yellow lauʻīpala, also known as yellow tang, or Zebrasoma flavescens.
A large school of lauʻīpala (yellow tang) at Kealakekua Bay on Hawaiʻi Island. PC: Lindsey Kramer (author)
In Hawaiian, their name translates to “yellowed ti leaf”, as they are well-known for their eye-catching bright yellow color. This species was historically recognized for its tendency to form large aggregations along shallow reef areas in West Hawaiʻi, sometimes visible even from shore. This phenomenon may have contributed to West Hawaii’s western nickname, “the Gold Coast”. Lauʻīpala are almost always a solid, bright yellow with a white tail spine, although you might occasionally spot an albino variation. They have a leaf-like oval body shape, attain a maximum size of 8 inches and can live for more than 40 years.
Yellow tang are sometimes affiliated with West Hawaii Island’s western nickname, “the Gold Coast” because of its tendency to form large schools in shallow water. PC: author.
Lauʻīpala are common along shallow and mid-depth coral reefs, but have been observed at as deep as 250 ft, and are indigenous to the Hawaiʻi Islands (and also found around other Pacific Islands including Ryukyu, Mariana, Marshall, Marcus, and Wake Atoll). Lauʻīpala reproduce by broadcast spawning, which generates planktonic larvae that can travel for several weeks before settling on new coral reef areas.
Juvenile lauʻīpala (yellow tang) prefer to live within dense finger coral (Porites compressa) habitats for protection from predators. PC: author.
During their juvenile phase, lauʻīpala prefer reef habitats rich with finger coral (Porites compressa), which provides ample hiding space from larger predators. With that in mind, maintaining a healthy mid-depth finger coral population is critical to the long-term survival of this species. As adults, lauʻīpala prefer shallow and more topographically complex reefs and basalt areas with abundant turf algae to consume.
Lauʻīpala are the primary target of the aquarium collection industry, which centers in West Hawaiʻi and focuses on the export of this species (along with kole and 38 other less targeted fish species). The initial over-collection of lauʻīpala in the 1970s and 80s led DLNR-DAR to create an extensive network of marine protected areas to limit their harvest and provide areas for replenishment. Despite these management measures and a positive response to spatial refugia, lauʻīpala remain at the center of a long-standing controversy over the existence of the aquarium fish trade in Hawaiʻi. Currently, the aquarium fishery is closed throughout the state, although the discussions and legal battles continue.
Lauʻīpala (yellow tang) help promote reef resiliency by removing turf algae from stressed reefs, allowing corals to grow and resettle. PC: author.
Similar to many other types of surgeonfish, lauʻīpala are an important reef grazer, and can help promote coral reef resiliency by removing algae from reef substrates. This continual removal of reef algae provides stony corals with more space to grow and also opens space for the recruitment of larval corals. Where grazer populations are healthy, you might observe lauʻīpala blending with other schooling herbivorous fish species, such as maikako (Acanthurus leucopareius), manini (Acanthurus triostegus) or kole (Ctenochaetus strigosus). These beautiful multispecies schools can be observed drifting across shallow reefs throughout the Hawaiian Islands, particularly in areas with protections for grazers.
Learn more about the status of the aquarium trade in Hawaiʻi at: https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dar/announcements/update-on-aquarium-collecting/
Learn more about the important role of lauʻīpala as coral reef grazers helping to promote reef resiliency at on our Youtube channel:
