Foxface rabbitfish

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Foxface rabbitfish
Siganus vulpinus 2.jpg
Adult, day colour
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Siganidae
Genus: Siganus
Species:
S. vulpinus
Binomial name
Siganus vulpinus
Synonyms [2]
  • Amphacanthus vulpinusSchlegel & Müller, 1845
  • Lo vulpinus(Schlegel & Müller, 1845)
  • Teuthis vulpina(Schlegel & Müller, 1845)
  • Teuthis vulpinus(Schlegel & Müller, 1845)
  • Teuthis tubulosa Gronow, 1854

The foxface rabbitfish (Siganus vulpinus), also known as the foxface, black-face rabbit fish, badger fish or the common foxface is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It can be found in the aquarium trade.

Taxonomy

The foxface rabbitfish was first formally described as Amphacanthus vulpinus in 1845 by the German zoologists Hermann Schlegel & Salomon Müller with the type locality given as Ternate Island one of the Molucca Islands in Indonesia. [3] The blotched foxface ( S. unimaculatus ) differs from S. vulpinus in possessing a large black spot below the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin. It is sympatric and not phylogenetically distinct, and though these two might be recently evolved species, they may be just colour morphs and should arguably to be united under the scientific name S. vulpinus. under the scientific name S. vulpinus. [4] The specific name vulpinus means "fox-like", Schlegel and Müller did not explain what this alluded to but it is thought to be the pointed snout. [5]

Description

The foxface rabbitfish has a compressed body which has a depth which fits into its standard length 1.9 to 2.4 times. The dorsal profile of the head is steep to the rear of the eye and there is an indentation between the eyes and a tubular snout. The caudal fin is weakly forked. There is a procumbent spine in the nape to the front of the dorsal fin. [6] Like all rabbitfishes, the dorsal fin has 13 spines and 10 soft rays while the anal fin has 7 spines and 9 soft rays. The fin spines hold venom glands. This species attains a maximum total length of 25 cm (9.8 in), although 20 cm (7.9 in) is more typical. [2] The main colour on this rabbitfish is vivid yellow with white on the head and front part of the body, however foxfaces can camouflage when experiencing threat, quickly changing colour to a dark brown. There is a black band running backwards from the mouth through the eye to the start of the dorsal fin and there is a black area on the breast that runs upwards to just above the base of the pectoral-fin, tapering as it does so. [7]

Distribution and habitat

The foxface rabbitfish occurs in the far eastern Indian Ocean and in the western Pacific from Indonesia to the Marshall and Gilbert Islands north as far as Taiwan and south to New Caledonia and Australia. [1] In Australia it is found from Western Australia on the northern reefs and offshore reefs, at Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, and on the east coast in Queensland from the northern Great Barrier Reef to the Capricorn Islands. [7] It has been recorded as deep as 30 m (98 ft). [1] This species lives in lagoons and seaward reefs where there is a rich growth of corals. [7]

Biology

During nighttime or when stressed the foxface rabbitfish changes to a duller mottled pattern Siganus vulpinus estresado.JPG
During nighttime or when stressed the foxface rabbitfish changes to a duller mottled pattern
Caulerpa crassifolia is a popular food of the foxface rabbitfish. Alger, Caulerpa crassifolia, Nordisk familjebok.png
Caulerpa crassifolia is a popular food of the foxface rabbitfish.
Foxface rabbitfish (16473345699).jpg

The foxface rabbitfish is omnivorous, eating mostly algae and zooplankton. [8] They may be territorial, adults are normally found as either solitary individuals or in pairs and are associated with branching Acropora corals. Juveniles and subadults may sometimes form large schools, feeding on algae growing on the bases of Acropora corals. [2] This species produces venom in the spines of its fins. [7] In a study of the venom of a congener it was found that rabbitfish venom was similar to the venom of stonefishes. [9]

Utilisation

The foxface rabbitfish appears in the aquarium trade. [10] No statistics are kept for the catch and in some areas this species appears in mixed catches of reef fish, caught by spearfishing. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rabbitfish</span> Genus of fishes

Rabbitfishes or spinefoots, genus Siganus, are perciform fishes in the family Siganidae. It is the only extant genus in its family and has 29 species. In some now obsolete classifications, the species having prominent face stripes—colloquially called foxfaces–are in the genus Lo. Other species, such as the masked spinefoot, show a reduced form of the stripe pattern. Rabbitfishes are native to shallow waters in the Indo-Pacific, but S. luridus and S. rivulatus have become established in the eastern Mediterranean via Lessepsian migration. They are commercially important food fish, and can be used in the preparation of dishes such as bagoong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blotched foxface</span> Species of fish

The blotched foxface, also called the blackblotch foxface or one-spot foxface, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found at reefs and lagoons in the central Indo-Pacific. Except for the black spot on the rear upper body, it resembles the closely related foxface rabbitfish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicolored foxface</span> Species of fish

The bicolored foxface, also known as the Uspi rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found at coral reefs in Fiji in the Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magnificent rabbitfish</span> Species of fish

The magnificent rabbitfish, also known as the magnificent foxface or the Andaman foxface, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is from the eastern Indian Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a length of 24 cm (9.4 in).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange-spotted spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The orange-spotted spinefoot, also known as the deepbody spinefoot, gold-saddle rabbitfish, golden rabbitfish, golden-spotted spinefoot, goldlined spinefoot or yellowblotch spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masked spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The masked spinefoot, also known as the masked rabbitfish, bluelined rabbitfish, blue-lined spinefoot, decorated rabbitfish or maiden spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It occurs in shallow, coral-rich areas of clear lagoons and seaward reefs of the Indo-West Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue-spotted spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The blue-spotted spinefoot, the coral rabbitfish, coral spinefoot, ocellated spinefoot or orange spinefoot is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific where it is often caught as a food fish and occasionally as an aquarium fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streaked spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The streaked spinefoot, also known as the Java rabbitfish, blue-spotted spinefoot, blue-spotted trevally, Java spinefoot or white-spotted rabbit-fish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found throughout most of the Indo-Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden-lined spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The golden-lined spinefoot, also known as the goldlined rabbitfish or lined rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the tropical Western Pacific and along the coasts of northern Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermiculated spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The vermiculated spinefoot, also known as maze rabbitfish, scribbled spinefoot or vermiculate rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. Like all rabbitfishes, it has venomous spines on the dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins. It is a reef associated fish species of the Indo-West Pacific region. It is a common commercially important fish in many tropical countries.

<i>Siganus rivulatus</i> Species of fish

Siganus rivulatus, the marbled spinefoot, rivulated rabbitfish or surf parrotfish, is a gregarious, largely herbivorous ray-finned fish of the family Siganidae. Its natural range encompasses the western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea from where it colonised the Mediterranean Sea by Lessepsian migration through the Suez Canal. It is the type species of the genus Siganus.

<i>Siganus sutor</i> Species of fish

Siganus sutor, the shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish ,whitespotted rabbitfish or African whitespotted rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It lives in Indo-Pacific coral reefs. It is endemic to the Indian Ocean, from Indonesia to Comoros. S. sutor is one of the commercial marine fishes, which is ubiquitously caught, in Tanzania and the entire East African coast of Indian ocean. S. sutor is among the most common fish species in the marine fisheries of Kenya, and accounts for around 40% of the artisanal fishery landings. Various fishing gears are used to target the siganids, but basket traps are the preferred ones. It is one of the mangrove/seagrass-associated coral reef fishes. This species inhabits littoral areas and its fin spines are venomous to humans.

<i>Siganus fuscescens</i> Species of fish

Siganus fuscescens, the mottled spinefoot, black rabbitfish, black spinefoot, dusky rabbitfish, fuscous rabbitfish, happy moments, mi mi, pearl-spotted spinefoot, pin-spotted spinefoot, stinging bream or West Australian rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

The black foxface is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is endemic to Tonga in the western Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peppered spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The peppered spinefoot, also known as the finespotted rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Siganus punctatus</i> Species of fish

Siganus punctatus the goldspotted spinefoot, goldspotted rabbitfish, punctuated spinefoot, spotted rabbitfish, spotted spinefoot or yellow-spotted spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It occurs in the Indo-West Pacific region.

<i>Siganus randalli</i> Species of fish

Siganus randalli, the variegated spinefoot or Randall's rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Siganus spinus</i> Species of fish

Siganus spinus, the little spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish, blunt-nosed spinefoot, spiny rabbitfish, or spiny spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Siganus stellatus</i> Species of fish

Siganus stellatus, the brown-spotted spinefoot, brown-spotted rabbitfish, honeycomb rabbitfish, starspotted spinefoot, starspotted rabbitfish or stellate rabbitfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Siganus trispilos</i> Species of fish

Siganus trispilos, the threeblotched rabbitfish, threespot rabbitfish, threeblotch spinefoot or threespot spinefoot is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is endemic to the eastern Indian Ocean off northwestern Western Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Carpenter, K.E.; Smith-Vaniz, W.F. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Siganus vulpinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T69738933A115471944. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69738933A69742649.en . Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2021). "Siganus vulpinus" in FishBase. June 2021 version.
  3. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Siganus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  4. Kaoru Kuriiwaa; Naoto Hanzawab; Tetsuo Yoshinoc; Seishi Kimurad & Mutsumi Nishida (2007). "Phylogenetic relationships and natural hybridization in rabbitfishes (Teleostei: Siganidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 45 (1): 69–80. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.04.018.
  5. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 January 2021). "Order Acanthuriformes (part 2): Families Ephippidae, Leiognathidae, Scatophagidae, Antigoniidae, Siganidae, Caproidae, Luvaridae, Zanclidae and Acanthuridae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  6. 1 2 D.J. Woodland (2001). "Siganidae". In Carpenter, K.E. and Niem, V.H. (eds.). FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 6. Bony fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes and marine mammal (PDF). FAO Rome. p. 3647. ISBN   92-5-104587-9.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Dianne J. Bray. "Siganus vulpinus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  8. Lougher, Tristan (2006). What Fish?: A Buyer's Guide to Marine Fish. Interpet Publishing. p. 118. ISBN   0-7641-3256-3. Wild specimens feed primarily on algae and zooplankton.
  9. Kiriake A; Ishizaki S; Nagashima Y; Shiomi K (2017). "Occurrence of a stonefish toxin-like toxin in the venom of the rabbitfish Siganus fuscescens". Toxicon. 140: 139–146. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2017.10.015. PMID   29055787.
  10. "Foxface lo". Liveaquaria. Retrieved 7 September 2021.