SIGANUS WOODLANDI - (RANDALL & KULBICKI, 2005)
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Acanthuriformes (Order) > Siganidae (Family) > Siganus (Genus)
Sigan de Woodland, Woodland rabbitfish, Sedakahanaaigo, セダカハナアイゴ,
Last update: 5, July 2024
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10, preceded by a procumbent spine; Anal spines: 7; Anal soft rays: 9; Pelvic fin rays: I,3,I - Pelvic fins with two spines (1 strong inner and 1 outer spine, with 3 soft rays in between); Pectoral fin rays: 17-18; Principal caudal rays: 16, the middle: 14 branched; Upper procurrent caudal rays: 10; Lower procurrent caudal rays: 11; Scales in longitudinal series: 253 (243-281); Scale rows above lateral line: 20-23; Gill rakers: 6-7 + 17-18; Body depth: 2.35-2.4 in SL; Head length: 4.1-4.4 in SL; Dorsal profile of head from above front of eye to tip of recumbent dorsal spine concave; Snout length: 2.4-2.6 in head length; Longest dorsal spine: 2.05-2.1 in head length; Vertebrae: 23; Caudal fin deeply emarginate, the caudal concavity: 1.35 in head length; Body ellipsoidal, the depth: 2.35 (2.35-2.4) in SL; Body compressed, the width: 3.25 (3.0-3.45) in depth; Head length: 4.15 (4.1-4.4) in SL; Snout length: 2.5 (2.4-2.6) in head length; Dorsal profile of head from base of upper lip to above posterior nostril straight, becoming convex to above front of orbit, then concave to tip of procumbent dorsal spine. Max. length: 25.2 cm SL. Depth range: 5 - 15 m.
Color
Body light blue with numerous, small, closeset, pale yellowish spots and irregular narrow bands, the bands forming a reticular or vermiculate pattern. Yellowish spots larger on and preceding caudal peduncle and basally on caudal fin. Head with reticular pattern dominating, the yellowish markings more yellow and broader than on body. A conspicuous black band at upper end of gill opening. Soft portions of dorsal and anal fins with blue and yellow rays and transparent membranes; unscaled part of caudal fin yellow with transverse blue bands on lobes. Pectoral fins with yellow rays, transparent membranes, and a curved blue band at base.
Etymology
Siganus: Latin transformation of the Arabic word, sijān = a fish, rabbit fish. Referring to the similarity of the nose.
woodlandi: it is with pleasure that we name this species in honour of David J. Woodland of the University of New England, New South Wales, in recognition of his systematic research on the Siganidae.
Original description: Siganus woodlandi Randall & Kulbicki, 2005 - Type locality: fish market at Noumea, New Caledonia.
Distribution
Western Pacific: New Caledonia and southern Japan.
Biology
Habitat of this species at New Caledonia as outside the barrier reef and in the southern lagoon in clear water near the barrier reef. It was encountered mainly in schools of about 10 to 100 individuals moving from 1-3 m above the bottom. On a few occasions individuals seemed to be feeding in the water column, presumably on zooplankton. However, the long digestive tracts of our type specimens are filled with benthic algae. The presumed feeding above the substratum on zooplankton may only be opportunistic.
Similar species
Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10, preceded by a procumbent spine; Anal spines: 7; Anal soft rays: 9; Pelvic fin rays: I,3,I - Pelvic fins with two spines (1 strong inner and 1 outer spine, with 3 soft rays in between); Pectoral fin rays: 17-18; Principal caudal rays: 16, the middle: 14 branched; Upper procurrent caudal rays: 10; Lower procurrent caudal rays: 11; Scales in longitudinal series: 253 (243-281); Scale rows above lateral line: 20-23; Gill rakers: 6-7 + 17-18; Body depth: 2.35-2.4 in SL; Head length: 4.1-4.4 in SL; Dorsal profile of head from above front of eye to tip of recumbent dorsal spine concave; Snout length: 2.4-2.6 in head length; Longest dorsal spine: 2.05-2.1 in head length; Vertebrae: 23; Caudal fin deeply emarginate, the caudal concavity: 1.35 in head length; Body ellipsoidal, the depth: 2.35 (2.35-2.4) in SL; Body compressed, the width: 3.25 (3.0-3.45) in depth; Head length: 4.15 (4.1-4.4) in SL; Snout length: 2.5 (2.4-2.6) in head length; Dorsal profile of head from base of upper lip to above posterior nostril straight, becoming convex to above front of orbit, then concave to tip of procumbent dorsal spine. Max. length: 25.2 cm SL. Depth range: 5 - 15 m.
Color
Body light blue with numerous, small, closeset, pale yellowish spots and irregular narrow bands, the bands forming a reticular or vermiculate pattern. Yellowish spots larger on and preceding caudal peduncle and basally on caudal fin. Head with reticular pattern dominating, the yellowish markings more yellow and broader than on body. A conspicuous black band at upper end of gill opening. Soft portions of dorsal and anal fins with blue and yellow rays and transparent membranes; unscaled part of caudal fin yellow with transverse blue bands on lobes. Pectoral fins with yellow rays, transparent membranes, and a curved blue band at base.
Etymology
Siganus: Latin transformation of the Arabic word, sijān = a fish, rabbit fish. Referring to the similarity of the nose.
woodlandi: it is with pleasure that we name this species in honour of David J. Woodland of the University of New England, New South Wales, in recognition of his systematic research on the Siganidae.
Original description: Siganus woodlandi Randall & Kulbicki, 2005 - Type locality: fish market at Noumea, New Caledonia.
Distribution
Western Pacific: New Caledonia and southern Japan.
Biology
Habitat of this species at New Caledonia as outside the barrier reef and in the southern lagoon in clear water near the barrier reef. It was encountered mainly in schools of about 10 to 100 individuals moving from 1-3 m above the bottom. On a few occasions individuals seemed to be feeding in the water column, presumably on zooplankton. However, the long digestive tracts of our type specimens are filled with benthic algae. The presumed feeding above the substratum on zooplankton may only be opportunistic.
Similar species
- Siganus argenteus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
- Siganus canaliculatus (Park, 1797) - 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 labyrinthodes (Bleeker 1853) - Reported from Western Pacific: Indonesia. Golden-red dorsally, paler below.
- Siganus margaritiferus (Valenciennes, 1835) - Reported from Eastern Indian Ocean, western Pacific: Andaman Islands to Solomon Islands, north to Japan, south to northern Australia. Caudal in the shape of crescent with the pointed lobes. Back dirty greenish, flanks grayish which passes on the belly to the dull white, slightly silvered. All its body is strewn with bluish points; The dorsal and the caudal are of a dark greenish; The pectoral are greenish yellow.
- Siganus sutor (Valenciennes, 1835) - Reported from Indian Ocean: Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), East Africa, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, Socotra (Yemen), Seychelles, Aldabra (Seychelles), Comoros, Madagascar and Mascarenes (La Réunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues), east to Myanmar and Bali (Indonesia).
Last update: 5, July 2024