Siganus insomnis

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Siganus insomnis
Siganus lineatus, Tuticorin.png
Specimen caught near Tuticorin, India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Siganidae
Genus: Siganus
Species:
S. insomnis
Binomial name
Siganus insomnis

Siganus insomnis, the bronze-lined spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the northern central Indian Ocean. It had formerly been confused with S. lineatus , but was recognized as a separate species in 2014.

Contents

Taxonomy

Siganus insomnis was first formally described in 2014 by David J. Woodland and R. Charles Anderson with the type locality given as Addu Atoll, Feydhoo Island in the Maldives. [2] The populations of spinefoots similar to Siganus lineatus in the waters off the Maldives, southern India and Sri Lanka had been considered to be conspecific with S. lineatus but differences in the colour and pattern as well as genetic differences showed that this was a valid, allopatric species. [3] The specific name insomnis means "sleepless", a reference to its preference for nocturnal feeding. [4]

Description

Siganus insomnis is a deep-bodied species of rabbitfish which is told apart from other rabbitfishes by having the flanks (apart from possibly the belly and a narrow strip along the base of the spiny part of the dorsal fin) marked with horizontal, parallel bronze coloured lines which extend the whole length of the flank from the nape and gill slit to underneath the large yellow spot below the base of the soft rayed part of the dorsal fin. Most of these lines on the flanks are uninterrupted for the whole of their length. There may be a row of bronze spots along the base of the spiny part of the dorsal fin. Like all rabbitfish, this species has 13 spines and 10 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin has 7 spines and 9 soft rays. [5] In small juveniles the caudal fin is emarginate but as the fish grows it becomes more forked. [3] This species attains a maximum total length of 35 cm (14 in). [5]

Distribution and habitat

Siganus insomnis is found in the northern central Indian Ocean in the Maldives, southern India and Sri Lanka. [1] Adults are normally found on coral or sandstone reefs, as well as beds of sea grass. The juveniles live in large estuaries. Estuaries are important habitats for the younger fishes who move onto reefs when they mature. [5]

Biology

Siganus insomnis lives in schools as adults. They are largely herbivores that scrape algae from rock and coral substrates as well as browsing on seaweeds and sea grasses. It likely also eats small amounts of animal matter. Analyses of intestinal contents of specimens with standard lengths between 2 and 27 cm (0.79 and 10.63 in) collected from lagoons and coastal areas of Sri Lanka showed they had consumed diatoms, green, blue-green, red and brown algae and a seagrass. This species appears to prefer feeding at night, and was apparently mostly inactive in the day. [5]

Fisheries

Siganus insomnis is fished for using gillnets and hand line in the Maldives and is also spearfished at night. It is also part of a major fishery in Sri Lanka. [1]

Related Research Articles

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

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.

<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.

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

Siganus doliatus, commonly known as the barred spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish, pencil-streaked rabbitfish, barred Spanish mackerel, blue-lined rabbitfish or two-barred rabbitfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is native to the western Pacific Ocean where it occurs on reefs and in lagoons.

<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 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 canaliculatus</i> Species of 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.

<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.

Siganus labyrinthodes, the labyrinth spinefoot, is a little known 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.

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 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.; Borsa, P.; Jiddawi, N.; Yahya, S.; Smith-Vaniz, W.F.; Obota, C. (2018). "Siganus insomnis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T117006624A117006650. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T117006624A117006650.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Siganus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  3. 1 2 David J. Woodland & R. Charles Anderson (2014). "Description of a new species of rabbitfish (Perciformes: Siganidae) from southern India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives". Zootaxa. 3811 (1): 129–136. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.3811.1.8 . PMID   24943153.
  4. 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 26 August 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2021). "Siganus insomnis" in FishBase . June 2021 version.