Teleostei (teleosts) >
Acanthuriformes (Surgeonfishes) >
Siganidae (Rabbitfishes)
Etymology: Siganus: Latin, siganus = a fish, rabbit fish; by the similarity of the nose (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated, usually 3 - 30 m (Ref. 27115). Tropical; 24°C - 28°C (Ref. 27115); 15°N - 25°S
Western Pacific: endemic to Fiji, with strays recorded from New Caledonia.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 24.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710)
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 7; Anal soft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 23. Color dark purplish brown except pectoral fins, soft portions of dorsal and anal fins, caudal fin, and posterior part of body; demarcation of 2 colors is sharp. Preopercular angle 110°-114°; strong overlapping scales cover cheeks, 9-10 rows deep below center of orbit; midline of thorax fully scaled. Spines stout, pungent and venomous. Snout slightly shorter and less tubular, less concave above the nostrils. Caudal fin slightly incised.
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.
Found among hard corals at the faces of drop-offs at reef edges or in deep pools inside reef crests. Juveniles form schools, adults occur in pairs. Feeds on seaweeds (Ref. 9813).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Woodland, D.J., 1990. Revision of the fish family Siganidae with descriptions of two new species and comments on distribution and biology. Indo-Pac. Fish. (19):136 p. (Ref. 1419)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Venomous
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01445 (0.00642 - 0.03257), b=3.07 (2.89 - 3.25), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.7 ±0.30 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (14 of 100).
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Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 47.1 [22.5, 113.0] mg/100g; Iron = 0.745 [0.358, 1.799] mg/100g; Protein = 18.7 [17.2, 20.3] %; Omega3 = 0.116 [0.060, 0.234] g/100g; Selenium = 21.3 [8.5, 53.6] μg/100g; VitaminA = 34.9 [9.3, 122.6] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.31 [0.51, 2.80] mg/100g (wet weight);
