| Family: |
Siganidae (Rabbitfishes) |
| Max. size: |
30 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; brackish; marine; depth range - 1 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: southern India, Sri Lanka, Andaman Islands, Thailand, southern and eastern coasts of China, Taiwan, Ryukyu, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Northern Territory in Australia. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 13-13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10-10; Anal spines: 7-7; Anal soft rays: 9-9; Vertebrae: 13-13. A brown band running diagonally from nape to chin; another from 4th-5th dorsal spine base to pectoral fin base; ocular and shoulder bands spotted with blue; a zone of silvery yellow posterior and adjacent to the shoulder band. Preopercular angle 100°-111°; cheek scalation variable from few to almost fully scaled; midline of thorax fully scaled, sometimes with a row missing from pelvic ridges. A prominent rim or short tube encircle the anterior nostril, with a little peak on it posteriorly. Spines stout, fairly pungent and venomous. |
| Biology: |
Inhabits shallow coastal waters, around hard coral reefs and areas of sand with patches of rock and soft coral. Tolerant of murky waters. Larger juveniles and adults occur in pairs in coastal reef flats, slopes and estuaries . Small juveniles are found in mangroves and enter freshwater, moving to reefs usually in small groups among corals (Ref. 48637). Feed on benthic seaweeds (Ref. 9813). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 18 July 2017 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
venomous |
Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.
