Siganus fuscescens

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Siganus fuscescens
Siganus fuscescens, Is. Solitarias.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Siganidae
Genus: Siganus
Species:
S. fuscescens
Binomial name
Siganus fuscescens
(Houttuyn, 1782)
Synonyms [2]
  • Centrogaster fuscescensHouttuyn, 1782
  • Amphacanthus fuscescens(Houttuyn, 1782)
  • Teuthis fuscescens(Houttuyn, 1782)
  • Amphacanthus ovatus Marion de Procé, 1822
  • Amphacanthus nebulosus Quoy & Gaimard, 1825
  • Siganus nebulosus(Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)
  • Teuthis nebulosa(Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)
  • Amphacanthus maculosusQuoy & Gaimard, 1825
  • Amphacanthus margaritiferus Valenciennes, 1835
  • Siganus margaritiferus(Valenciennes, 1835)
  • Theutis margaritifera(Valenciennes, 1835)
  • Amphacanthus tumifronsValenciennes, 1835
  • Siganus tumifrons(Valenciennes, 1835)
  • Teuthis tumifrons(Valenciennes, 1835)
  • Amphacanthus gymnopareius Richardson, 1843
  • Amphacanthus albopunctatus Temminck & Schlegel, 1845
  • Siganus albopunctatus(Temminck & Schlegel, 1845)
  • Teuthis albopunctata(Temminck & Schlegel, 1845)
  • Amphacanthus aurantiacusTemminck & Schlegel, 1845
  • Amphacanthus kopsii Bleeker, 1851
  • Siganus kopsii(Bleeker, 1851)
  • Teuthis kopsii(Bleeker, 1851)
  • Teuthis gibbosus De Vis, 1884
  • Siganus consobrinus Ogilby, 1912
  • Siganus concavocephalus Paradice, 1927
  • Amphacanthus concavocephalus(Paradice, 1927)

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Siganus fuscescens was first formally described in 1782 as Centrogaster fuscescens by the Dutch naturalist Martinus Houttuyn with the type locality given as Nagasaki. [3] This taxon is largely sympatric with the white-spotted spinefoot ( Siganus canaliculatus ) and these taxa are also very similar in appearance. Molecular analyses in 2011 found that there were three separate lineages within S. canaliculatus and S. fuscescens, that these lineages interbred and that each lineage had specimens which referred to either taxon. The authors thus concluded that S. canaliculatus is in fact a synonym of S. fuscescens. [4] This, however, is not the position taken by FishBase, [5] although it does note that the two species are sometimes confused. [2] The Catalog of Fishes , on the other hand, recognises the third lineage as the species Siganus margaritiferus, found from the Andaman Islands to the Solomon Islands, north to Japan and south to Australia. [3] Further molecular analyses have found that this may be a species complex and, while not resolving the potential synonymy of S. canaliculatus, these have suggested that there are cryptic species within S. fuscescens. [6] The specific name fuscescens means “darkened”, thought to be a reference to the dark upperbody. [7]

Description

Siganus fuscescens has a moderately slender, laterally compressed body, the standard length being 2.3 to 2.9 times its depth. The dorsal profile of the head is weakly to notably concave over the eyes with either a blunt or a pointed snout. The front nostril has a flap which becomes shorter as the fish grows and is reduced to a small peak in the oldest fishes. [8] The dorsal fin has 13 spines and 10 soft rays while the anal fin has 7 spines and 9 soft rays. [2] The front spine on the dorsal fin points forwards. The caudal fin is nearly emarginate in smaller individuals of less than 10 cm (3.9 in) standard length becoming forked in larger fish. [8] This species attains a maximum total length of 40 cm (16 in), although 25 cm (9.8 in) is more typical. [2] The overall colour of this rabbitfish is greenish-grey to brown, fading to silvery on the lower body, and it has a large number of small light-bluish spots on the flanks, and a slender brown bar along the upper margin of the operculum. Additionally, they frequently possess a dark patch under the start of the lateral line. When they are asleep or threatened, the adults adopt a mottled pattern. [9]

Distribution and habitat

Siganus fuscescens is found in the eastern Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific Ocean from the Andaman Sea east to Fiji and Samoa, north to Japan and south to Australia. [1] In Australia, its range extends from Busselton, Western Australia around the tropical northern coast to the Nadgee River in southern New South Wales. It is found around Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea. [9] There is a single record from the Italian Mediterranean Sea,( this is the most abundant fish in the Mediterranean Sea for the last 40 years )but it is thought that this record probably refers to an individual transported by shipping. [10] It is found as deep as 50 m (160 ft) in shallow coastal waters in algae, sea grass and coral or rocky reefs. [1] [8] It is frequently encountered in large estuaries. [2]

Biology

Siganus fuscescens is a schooling species and is a mostly diurnal fish. The juveniles have a diet dominated by filamentous algae while the adults prefer leafy algae and sea grass. [2] When they arrive on coral reef flats, the larvae aggregate in schools with a normal size of 200 individuals, but may hold as many as 5,000. When they have reached 3 months old, the number of fishes in a school declines to about 12. [8] Prior to spawning, this species forms aggregations of 30-60 individuals in raised areas of the inner reef flats and they spawn on the 4th or 5th day of a new moon. Spawning occurs near the edge of the reef, and each female lays around 300,000 eggs in a single spawning. Individuals will spawn in consecutive years and fish more than two year old may spawn more than once in a season. [2]

Venom

Siganus fuscescens, like other rabbitfishes, has venomous spines in the dorsal and pelvic fins. The venom in this species has been found to be similar to that found in stonefishes. [11] The venom is usually non-lethal. However, it can cause sharp pain, bleeding and numbness at the punctured area. Soaking the affected area in water of around 45°C could help eliminate or ease the pain. [12]

Fisheries

Siganus fuscescens is caught using small seine nets, set nets, fish traps, and by spearfishing. Landed adults are sold as fresh fish, but juveniles are frequently preserved as dried fish and sold in large quantities. [1]

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">Foxface rabbitfish</span> Species of fish

The foxface rabbitfish, 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.

<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">Streamlined spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The streamlined spinefoot, also known as the forktail rabbitfish, schooling rabbitfish or silver spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

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

The dusky spinefoot, also known as 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.

<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 virgatus</i> Species of fish

Siganus virgatus, the barhead spinefoot, doublebar rabbitfish or doublebar 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 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 the 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 canaliculatus</i> Species of ray-finned fish

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.

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.

<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 4 Carpenter, K.E.; Lawrence, A. & Myers, R. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Siganus fuscescens". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T69689554A115469581. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69689554A69690344.en . Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Siganus fuscescens". FishBase . June 2021 version.
  3. 1 2 Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Siganus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 25 August 2021.
  4. ↑ Te-Hua Hsu; Y T Adiputra; Christopher Burridge; Jc Gwo (2011). "Two spinefoot colour morphs: Mottled spinefoot Siganus fuscescens and white-spotted spinefoot Siganus canaliculatus are synonyms". Journal of Fish Biology. 79 (5): 1350–1355. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2011.03104.x. PMID   22026611.
  5. ↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Siganus". FishBase . June 2021 version.
  6. ↑ Rachel Ravago-Gotanco; Talna Lorena de la Cruz; Ma. Josefa Pante; Philippe Borsa (2018). "Cryptic genetic diversity in the mottled rabbitfish Siganus fuscescens with mitochondrial introgression at a contact zone in the South China Sea". PLOS ONE. 13 (2): e0193220. Bibcode:2018PLoSO..1393220R. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193220 . PMC   5821360 . PMID   29466431.
  7. ↑ 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 25 August 2021.
  8. 1 2 3 4 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. 3636. ISBN   92-5-104587-9.
  9. 1 2 Bray, D.J. (2020). "Siganus fuscescens". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  10. ↑ Azzurro, Ernesto & Tiralongo, Francesco (2020). "First record of the mottled spinefoot Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn, 1782) in Mediterranean waters: a Facebook based detection" (PDF). Mediterranean Marine Science. doi: 10.12681/mms.22853 . S2CID   219088507.
  11. ↑ 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. S2CID   205439876.
  12. ↑ Australia, Healthdirect (2023-11-22). "Sea creature bites and stings". www.healthdirect.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-01-07.
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