SIGANUS CANALICULATUS - (PARK, 1797)
Actinopterygii (Class) > Perciformes (Order) > Acanthuroidei (Suborder) > Siganidae (Family) > Siganus (Genus)
Sigan pintade, Net-pattern spinfoot, Pearlspotted spinefoot, Pearly spinefoot, Seagrass rabbitfish, Slimy spinefoot, Smudgepot spinefoot, White spotted rabbit fish, White-spotted rabbitfish, White-spotted spinefoot, Whitespotted rabbitfish, Whitespotted spinefoot, Sigano pintado, Safi arabi, Hvidplettet kaninfisk, Shimofuri-aigo, シモフリアイゴ, 관독가시치, 长鳍篮子鱼, 象鱼, สลิดทะเลจุดขาว,
Synonymes
Amphacanthus dorsalis (Valenciennes, 1835)
Amphacanthus guttatus oramin (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Chaetodon canaliculatus (Park, 1797)
Siganus oramin (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Teuthis dorsalis (Valenciennes, 1835)
Teuthis oramin (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Theutis dorsalis (Valenciennes, 1835)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 7; Anal soft rays: 9; Pectoral rays: 17-18; Pelvic rays: I, 3, I - Pelvic fins with two spines (1 strong inner and 1 outer spine, with 3 soft rays in between); Scales row above lateral-line: 16-27; Scales minute; cheeks scaleless, or with few to many very fine scales; Body compressed moderately slender, its depth: 2.3-2.8 in SL; Head profile slightly to markedly concave above eye: 4.7-4.9 in SL; Snout pointed rather than blunt; Fourth to seventh dorsal-fin spine longest, much longer than (1.7 to 2.2 times) the last; Last anal-fin spine: 1.2 to 1.5 times in longest anal-fin spine (usually the third); Soft parts of dorsal and anal fins low, longest dorsal-fin ray 0.7 to 1 times in longest dorsal-fin spine; Caudal fin almost emarginate in specimens under 10 cm standard length, forked in larger fish (but median rays never less than 1/2 length of longest rays); A forward-directed spine present in front of dorsal fin; Anterior nostril with a long flap in juveniles, shortening with age, absent in old fish; Nostril flap reaching less than half-way to posterior nostril in specimens larger than 12 cm in SL. Max length: 35.0 cm TL; common length: 20.0 cm TL. Depth range: 3 - 40 m.
Color
Greenish grey above to silver on belly; Numerous pearly blue spots covering snout, nape and sides, arranged more or less in horizontal rows, 2–3 rows above lateral line; Fright and night pattern mottled with pale cream and dark brown; Usually fish display a dark patch just below origin of lateral line.
Etymology
Siganus: Latin transformation of the Arabic word, sijān = a fish, rabbit fish; by the similarity of the nose.
canaliculatus: from Latin, canāliculus = like a channel or pipe; channelled, grooved.
Original description: Chaetodon canaliculatus Park, 1797 - Type locality: Bengkulu Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, eastern Indian Ocean.
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf to east Indian region, Australia, New Caledonia to Ryukyu Islands.
Biology
Inhabit inshore, algae reefs, estuaries and in large lagoons with algae-rubble habitats. Mainly common on rocky substrates. This species seems to tolerate more turbid waters, occurring within the vicinity of river mouths especially around seagrass beds. Adults also occur several kilometers offshore in deep, clear waters. Juveniles form very large schools in shallow bays and coral reef flats; school size reduces with size, with adults occurring in groups of 20 individuals or so. Herbivorous, feed on benthic algae and to some extent on seagrass. Consumed as food; and have poisonous spines. Multiple spawner. Larger fish may spawn more than once in a spawning season. Spawn in group.
Similar species
Siganus argenteus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn, 1782) - Reported from New Caledonia. Differs by its slightly more pointed snout and longer pectoral fins (1.1-1.3 in HL vs. 1.4-1.5 in Siganus fuscescens). Siganus fuscescens don't show dots on snout and nape.
Siganus sutor (Valenciennes, 1835) - Reported from Western Indian Ocean: Gulf of Aden, East Africa, South Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Chagos Archipelago, east Andaman Sea and Bali.
Sigan pintade, Net-pattern spinfoot, Pearlspotted spinefoot, Pearly spinefoot, Seagrass rabbitfish, Slimy spinefoot, Smudgepot spinefoot, White spotted rabbit fish, White-spotted rabbitfish, White-spotted spinefoot, Whitespotted rabbitfish, Whitespotted spinefoot, Sigano pintado, Safi arabi, Hvidplettet kaninfisk, Shimofuri-aigo, シモフリアイゴ, 관독가시치, 长鳍篮子鱼, 象鱼, สลิดทะเลจุดขาว,
Synonymes
Amphacanthus dorsalis (Valenciennes, 1835)
Amphacanthus guttatus oramin (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Chaetodon canaliculatus (Park, 1797)
Siganus oramin (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Teuthis dorsalis (Valenciennes, 1835)
Teuthis oramin (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Theutis dorsalis (Valenciennes, 1835)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 7; Anal soft rays: 9; Pectoral rays: 17-18; Pelvic rays: I, 3, I - Pelvic fins with two spines (1 strong inner and 1 outer spine, with 3 soft rays in between); Scales row above lateral-line: 16-27; Scales minute; cheeks scaleless, or with few to many very fine scales; Body compressed moderately slender, its depth: 2.3-2.8 in SL; Head profile slightly to markedly concave above eye: 4.7-4.9 in SL; Snout pointed rather than blunt; Fourth to seventh dorsal-fin spine longest, much longer than (1.7 to 2.2 times) the last; Last anal-fin spine: 1.2 to 1.5 times in longest anal-fin spine (usually the third); Soft parts of dorsal and anal fins low, longest dorsal-fin ray 0.7 to 1 times in longest dorsal-fin spine; Caudal fin almost emarginate in specimens under 10 cm standard length, forked in larger fish (but median rays never less than 1/2 length of longest rays); A forward-directed spine present in front of dorsal fin; Anterior nostril with a long flap in juveniles, shortening with age, absent in old fish; Nostril flap reaching less than half-way to posterior nostril in specimens larger than 12 cm in SL. Max length: 35.0 cm TL; common length: 20.0 cm TL. Depth range: 3 - 40 m.
Color
Greenish grey above to silver on belly; Numerous pearly blue spots covering snout, nape and sides, arranged more or less in horizontal rows, 2–3 rows above lateral line; Fright and night pattern mottled with pale cream and dark brown; Usually fish display a dark patch just below origin of lateral line.
Etymology
Siganus: Latin transformation of the Arabic word, sijān = a fish, rabbit fish; by the similarity of the nose.
canaliculatus: from Latin, canāliculus = like a channel or pipe; channelled, grooved.
Original description: Chaetodon canaliculatus Park, 1797 - Type locality: Bengkulu Province, Sumatra, Indonesia, eastern Indian Ocean.
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf to east Indian region, Australia, New Caledonia to Ryukyu Islands.
Biology
Inhabit inshore, algae reefs, estuaries and in large lagoons with algae-rubble habitats. Mainly common on rocky substrates. This species seems to tolerate more turbid waters, occurring within the vicinity of river mouths especially around seagrass beds. Adults also occur several kilometers offshore in deep, clear waters. Juveniles form very large schools in shallow bays and coral reef flats; school size reduces with size, with adults occurring in groups of 20 individuals or so. Herbivorous, feed on benthic algae and to some extent on seagrass. Consumed as food; and have poisonous spines. Multiple spawner. Larger fish may spawn more than once in a spawning season. Spawn in group.
Similar species
Siganus argenteus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn, 1782) - Reported from New Caledonia. Differs by its slightly more pointed snout and longer pectoral fins (1.1-1.3 in HL vs. 1.4-1.5 in Siganus fuscescens). Siganus fuscescens don't show dots on snout and nape.
Siganus sutor (Valenciennes, 1835) - Reported from Western Indian Ocean: Gulf of Aden, East Africa, South Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Chagos Archipelago, east Andaman Sea and Bali.
Siganus woodlandi (Randall & Kulbicki, 2005) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).