Tropical reef fish

Golden Rabbitfish

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Identity card

Golden Rabbitfish

Scientific name:: Siganus guttatus

Family:: Siganidae

Class:: Actinopterygii

Phylum:: Chordata

Year of description:: Bloch, 1787

IUCN Status:: Least Concern

CITES-status:: Not Evaluated

Distribution:: Andaman Sea, Southern Japan, New Guinea and Java

Habitat:: Coral reefs and brackish waters of mangroves and estuaries.

Size:: The maximum size of the rabbitfish is 42 cm, with an average size of 25 cm

Diet:: Algae and marine plants.

At Nausicaá, rabbitfish feed on spinach, peas as well as Wakame or Nori seaweed.

Rabbitfish are peaceful fish that feed on algae and marine plants. Rabbitfish are an oviparous species and reach sexual maturity between 16.8 cm for males and 18.1 cm for females. This nocturnal fish spawns around midnight.

did you know?

Where is the animal to be found?

They are found in the Andaman Sea, southern Japan, New Guinea and Java. They live in coral reefs, as well as in the brackish waters of mangroves and estuaries, at depths of between 1 and 35 m. They usually move around in shoals of 10 to 15 individuals.

How can it be recognised?

The golden rabbitfish gets it names from the shape of its mouth. Their compressed body has venomous dorsal spines that it uses to defend itself.

What is distinctive about it?

Important for the balance of reefs, rabbitfish are among the favourite species of scuba divers who are lucky enough to travel to tropical coral islands. Their grazing activity clears corals of invasive algae.