Zebrasoma gemmatum was first formally described as Acanthurus gemmatus in 1835 by the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes with its type locality given as Mauritius.

[3] The genera Zebrasoma and Paracanthurus make up the tribe Zebrasomini within the subfamily Acanthurinae in the family Acanthuridae, according to the 5th edition of Fishes of the World.

The overall colour of this fish is dark brown with a large number of small white spots, these spots are typically round but some may be stretched lengthways, on the head body, anal fin and dorsal fin.

It is also found off Madagascar, the French Southern Territories in the Mozambique Channel, Réunion and Mauritius.

[8] The IUCN assess the conservation status of the gem tang as Data Deficient as very little is known about its biology or how the harvest for the aquarium trade affects the population.