Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) >
Perciformes (Perch-likes) >
Siganidae (Rabbitfishes)
Etymology: Siganus: Latin, siganus = a fish, rabbit fish; by the similarity of the nose (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 1 - ? m (Ref. 9710), usually 5 - 30 m (Ref. 27115). Tropical; 24°C - 28°C (Ref. 27115); 30°N - 35°S
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4407); common length : 35.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9813)
Dorsal
spines
(total): 13;
Dorsal
soft rays
(total): 10;
Anal
spines: 7;
Anal
soft rays: 9;
Vertebrae: 13. Indian Ocean subspecies. S. s. laqueus greyish green with head and body covered with chocolate brown spots; in S. s. stellatus, background color is yellowish. Trailing edges of soft parts of dorsal and anal fins, perimeter of caudal fin and a saddle over the caudal peduncle are markedly paler than the rest. Silvery iris, tinted brown or green, with 10 equally spaced spots. Spines stout; pungent only in juveniles. Preopercular angle 92°-103°. Strong scales cover the cheeks. Usually midline of thorax fully scaled, but pelvic ridges sometimes without scales.
Indian Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa to the Andaman Sea.
Common in coral reefs; juveniles enter weedy estuaries (Ref. 4407). Juveniles and subadults form schools, adult in pairs. Adults feed on benthic seaweeds (Ref. 9813). Anterolateral glandular grooves with venom gland (Ref. 57406).
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.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
More information
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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82805): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01278 (-0.18801 - 0.21356), b=3.14 (3.03 - 3.24), based on LWR estimates for this family-BS (Ref.
93245).
Trophic Level (Ref.
69278): 2.7 ±0.30 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
69278): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low to moderate vulnerability (26 of 100) .