Lopez's Unicornfish Care Guide
Naso lopezi is a slender Western Pacific unicornfish without a horn, densely spotted above and white below, feeding on zooplankton and reaching about 60 cm.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Naso lopezi, the elongate or Lopez’s unicornfish of the family Acanthuridae, has a slender, elongate body that is greyish with dense black spotting on the upper body and tail and white ventrally. It is one of the Naso species that lacks a bony forehead horn. FishBase records a maximum standard length of 60 cm.
Taxonomy
- Family: Acanthuridae
- Genus: Naso
- Scientific name: Naso lopezi
- Described by: Herre, 1927
Habitat
The species is marine and reef-associated in the Western Pacific, from southern Honshu, Japan, to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia, with records from the Similan Islands and Andaman Sea, Guam and Tonga. It inhabits steep outer reef slopes with strong currents, usually deeper than 6 m, with FishBase recording depths of 20-50 m.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 1500 L (396 gal)
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Specific gravity: 1.024-1.026
- Carbonate hardness: 8-12 dKH
- Strong water flow
- Lifespan: 10-25 years
Diet
According to FishBase, Naso lopezi is planktivorous, feeding on zooplankton. Wikipedia adds it also takes ctenophores, crustaceans, algae, diatoms, dinoflagellates and molluscs. In aquaria it benefits from frequent meaty planktonic foods alongside marine algae.
Compatibility
A semi-aggressive, diurnal mid-water swimmer described as a generally uncommon species, solitary or in groups and sometimes in large schools. It needs ample open swimming space. Wrasses, clownfish, angelfish and sturdy triggerfish make suitable tankmates, while other tangs of similar shape should be avoided in smaller systems.
Reef compatibility
The species does not eat coral and is considered reef-safe, though its size and need for open water demand a very spacious reef. Maintain carbonate hardness of 8-12 dKH and specific gravity of 1.024-1.026.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed in 2010 via FishBase.
Lopez's Unicornfish (Naso lopezi) Breeding Guide
Overview
Lopez's unicornfish, Naso lopezi, is a slender Pacific surgeonfish of the family Acanthuridae that grows large and ranges over open reef and drop-off habitats. Like all members of the genus Naso it is a free-spawning reef fish that releases pelagic eggs into open water, so it is not reproduced in home aquaria.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Surgeonfishes of this genus spawn by releasing eggs and sperm into the water column, frequently after forming aggregations on the reef. These open-water spawning events, tied to natural reef and lunar cycles, cannot be staged in an aquarium.
Egg & Fry Care
Fertilised eggs are pelagic and develop into the transparent acronurus larva typical of surgeonfishes, which maintains a planktonic existence in open water before eventually settling nearshore and metamorphosing. Rearing this fragile, micro-prey-dependent larval stage is beyond home-aquarium capability.
Common Challenges
There is no documented home breeding of Lopez's unicornfish. The pelagic spawning mode, the drifting acronurus larva and the adult's size confine any reproduction attempt to research-scale marine aquaculture.