Siganus stellatus

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Siganus stellatus
Siganus stellatus Maldives.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Siganidae
Genus: Siganus
Species:
S. stellatus
Binomial name
Siganus stellatus
(Forsskål, 1775)
Synonyms [2]
  • Scarus stellatusForsskål, 1775
  • Amphacanthus stellatus(Forsskål, 1775)
  • Teuthis stellata(Forsskål, 1775)
  • Amphacanthus nuchalis Valenciennes, 1835
  • Siganus laqueus von Bonde, 1934

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.

Contents

Taxonomy

Siganus stellatus was first formally described in 1775 as Scarus stellatus by the Swedish-speaking Finnish explorer and naturalist Peter Forsskål with the type locality given as Jeddah in modern Saudi Arabia. Forsskål's description was published posthumously by Carsten Niebuhr, a fellow member and only survivor of the Danish Arabia expedition (1761–67), in his Descriptiones animalium avium, amphibiorum, piscium, insectorum, vermium; quae in itinere orientali observavit Petrus Forskål. Post mortem auctoris edidit Carsten Niebuhr. [3] The specific name stellatus means “covered with stars”, and this is thought to be a reference to the small, closely set, dark brown to black hexagonal spots which cover the body and the caudal fin. [4]

Subspecies

According to FishBase, Siganus stellatus has two recognised subspecies: [2]

Other authorities consider S. s. laqueus to be a separate species; if accepted, its name would be Siganus laqueus. This fish was first formally described in 1934 by the South African zoologist, fisheries scientist and oceanographer Cecil von Bonde with its type locality given as the west coast of Zanzibar. [3] The specific name laqueus means “trap” or “snare”, and this reference can also be found the name of this fish in Swahili: chafi uzia, which means “fish trap”. The name is derived from the fact that it is often caught using fish traps. [4]

Description

Siganus stellatus has a deep and laterally compressed body whose depth is 2 to 2.3 times of its standard length. The dorsal profile of the head is almost a straight line and has an angle of around 45° between the forehead and the snout while the ventral profile of the head has a slight indentation under the chin. In juveniles, the front nostril has a long triangular flap, but this is reduced to a low rim in adults. There is a recumbent spine to the front of the dorsal fin. [5] 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. [2] The caudal fin is emarginate but slowly becomes deeply forked as the fish grows. [5] This species attains a maximum total length of 40 cm (16 in), although 35 cm (14 in) is more typical. [2] The body is covered in small and closely set dark brown to black spots on a white background, creating a honeycomb pattern. There are black spots on the fins while the caudal fin and the rear edges of dorsal and anal fins have a whitish margin. They frequently show a light, whitish to yellowish saddle mark on the caudal peduncle. [6] In the subspecies S. s. laqueus, the background colour of the body is greyish green with the head and the body covered with dark brown spots. [2]

Distribution and habitat

Siganus stellatus is found from the Red Sea and through the Indian Ocean (where it can be found as south as South Africa) into the Pacific Ocean where it reaches Singapore. [5] In Australia, it is known only from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands. [6] It can be found seagrass beds, seaward reefs and lagoons at depths between 1 and 30 m (3 ft 3 in and 98 ft 5 in). [1] Juveniles are known to enter weedy estuarine habitats. [2]

Biology

Siganus stellatus grazes on benthic macroalgae. The adults live in pairs while subadults and juveniles form schools. [2] There appears to be some seasonality in the breeding with sudden peaks of numbers of juveniles occurring during summer. [1] This species produces venom in the spines of its fins. [2] In a study of the venom of a congener it was found that rabbitfish venom was similar to the venom of stonefishes. [7]

Fisheries

Siganus stellatus is caught with fish traps in Kenya and Tanzania and with spears throughout its range. [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">Foxface rabbitfish</span> Species of fish

The foxface rabbitfish, also known as the foxface, black-face rabbitfish or 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 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 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 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.

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 4 Carpenter, K.E.; Jiddawi, N.; Borsa, P.; Obota, C.; Smith-Vaniz, W.F.; Yahya, S. (2018). "Siganus stellatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2018: e.T117007235A117008793. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T117007235A117008793.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2021). "Siganus stellatus" in 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 3 September 2021.
  4. 1 2 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 3 September 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 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. 3644. ISBN   92-5-104587-9.
  6. 1 2 Dianne J. Bray. "Siganus stellatus". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  7. ↑ 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.
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