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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; depth range 3 - 5 m (Ref. 1419). Tropical
Eastern Indian Ocean: off the northwestern coast of Western Australia (Ningaloo Reef complex; North West Cape; Murion Islands; Rosemary Islands, Dampier Archipelago).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 25.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710)
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 7; Anal soft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 13. Sides of body and fins bright yellow with orange cast; 3 chocolate brown patches on upper half of body below spinous part of dorsal fin; head, thorax, ventral margin of body, upper half of sides, and caudal peduncle with blue pinhead-sized ocelli, with deep blue margin; ocelli also present within the 3 patches; fins may be invaded basally by blue ocelli. Brown smudge running diagonally through eye; yellow lips; dusky yellow iris. Fin and nape spines fairly stout, pungent, and venomous. Midline of thorax and pelvic ridges fully scaled.
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.
Strictly corallophilic, pairs living in area rich in hard coral, particularly Acropora.
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 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
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