Orange-spotted spinefoot | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Siganidae |
Genus: | Siganus |
Species: | S. guttatus |
Binomial name | |
Siganus guttatus (Bloch, 1787) | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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The orange-spotted spinefoot (Siganus guttatus), 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.
The orange-spotted spinefoot was first formally described in 1787 as Chaetodon guttatus by the German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch with the type locality given as the East Indies. [3] The specific name guttatus means “spotted”, a reference to the rusty spots on the flanks of this fish. [4]
The orange-spotted spinefoot has a laterally compressed body which has a depth that is approximately half its standard length. The dorsal profile of the head is quite steep with a slight indentation to the front of the eyes. The front nostril has a slightly raised edge which is larger to the rear. There is a forward pointing spine in front of the dorsal fin which is imbedded in the nape. [5] The dorsal fin has 13 spines and 10 soft rays while the anal fin has 7 spines and 9 soft rays. [2] The caudal fin is emarginate, although it becomes moderately forked in the largest individuals. [5] This species attains a maximum total length of 42 cm (17 in), although 25 cm (9.8 in) is more typical. [2] The overall colour of the body is dusky blue above and silvery below with a single large yellow-orange spot below the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin, near the caudal fin, and a number of smaller reddish-brown spots on the flanks. [6]
The orange-spotted spinefoot has a wide Indo-West Pacific range which extends from the Andaman Islands and the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra to West Papua, north as far as the southern Ryukyu Islands. It is uncommon in Palau and has been recorded from Yap. They are found to depths of 35 m (115 ft) in shallow coastal waters where they inhabit reefs and mangroves and can tolerate a wide variety of salinities. [1]
The orange-spotted spinefoot first settle as fry in beds of sea grass near the mouths of rivers, The adults enter and leave tidal river channels with the ebbing and flowing of the tide. Adults also occur on the drop-offs of coastal fringing reefs. This is a schooling species and adults form schools of between 10 and 15 fishes. Their diet is mainly benthic algae. Unusually for a rabbitfish, the orange-spotted spinefoot may be active at night. Spawning normally takes place at night too, around midnight. [2]
The orange-spotted spinefoot has grooves in the spines of the dorsal, anal and pelvic fins which contain venom glands. The wound caused by these spines may be relatively painful to humans, but is usually not dangerous. The spines are used in self-defence. [6] In a study of the venom of a congener it was found that rabbitfish venom was similar to the venom of stonefishes. [7]
The orange-spotted spinefoot is fished for using set nets and fish traps. It is common in markets where it is sold as fresh fish. Rabbitfishes are considered good candidates for aquaculture, and there is mounting interest in the commercial culture of S. guttatus. It has mariculture potential because it is hardy in culture, there is an abundance of wild fry and spawners. The herbivorous diet gives it the potential to be an inexpensive source of protein for mass consumption. It also appears in the aquarium trade. [1]
Rabbitfishes or spinefoots are perciform fishes in the family Siganidae. The 29 species are in a single genus, Siganus. 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.
The foxface rabbitfish, also known as the foxface, black-face rabbitfish,common foxface or badger fish 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The dusky spinefoot, also known the squaretail rabbitfish,is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is native to the western Indian Ocean which has spread to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. Its fin spines contain venom. It is regarded as a food 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.
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.
Siganus canaliculatus, the white-spotted spinefoot, white-spotted rabbitfish, pearly spinefoot, seagrass rabbitfish, slimy spinefoot or smudgespot spinefoot is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is native to the western Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean where it occurs on reefs and in lagoons.
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.
The blackeye rabbitfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indian Ocean.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.