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Happy Easter! And to be at least minutely appropriate for the holiday...

RFotW #21 -- Siganus guttatus -- Orange Spotted Rabbitfish, Gold Spot Rabbitfish



Okay, maybe it's called an Easter Bunny and not an Easter Rabbit, but close enough.

Rabbitfish are popular fish in the saltwater hobby, as far as I gather. I mean, there isn't anyway to not like a Rabbitfish as far as I'm concerned. Rabbitfish tend to be hardy fish (although I'm sure there are exceptions), attractive, good even for reefs, and can be terrific algae eaters. The Orange Spotted Rabbitfish is no exception.

The Orange Spotted Rabbitfish, or Spinefoot, is arguably one of the most attractive of the Siganids. I mean, I shouldn't have to tell you, that fish just looks amazing, don't ya think? Adults can reach 16" in the wild, so it's not like any Fairy Wrasse either that has colors in a diminutive package. However, the colors alone could cause this fish to command a high price.

However, this fish isn't just looks. One of the first fish that many people purchase for their tanks is an algae eater; Tangs and Rabbitfish are often chosen for their hardiness for new tanks, although of course this only works in tanks of significance size. Although most people probably wouldn't purchase such a fish as a beginner, it does serve a role as an algae eater. In fact, among the Rabbitfishes it as actually one of the better algae eaters, which is kind of the opposite that occurs in our fancy plecs on the freshwater side.

And of course, to boost the price even further, this fish isn't exactly common in the trade. I've only seen a couple of Siganids in person, and this isn't one of them. However, this fish does dominate a relatively large range. In fact, this type of Rabbitfish can also inhabit lower salinities down to about half of saltwater, so it's an especially hardy fish in terms of salinity swings.

This fish isn't all good though. It's a big, schooling, venemous fish. At 16", this fish isn't a pushover at adulthood, and to top it off as a schooling fish, you're gonna need a really massive tank to take care of such a fish. Also, like all Rabbitfish, the spines on the fish are venemous, so one should be careful handling this fish.

And of course, there's one more downside. This fish is expensive. REALLY expensive. This fish can take a price of about approximately $600 way before it's even reached adulthood!

Links:

[link=http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=4628&genusname=Siganus&speciesname=magnificus]http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=4628&genusname=Siganus&speciesname=magnificus" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

[link=http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/hcs3/index.htm]http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/hcs3/index.htm" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

[link=http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rabbitfi.htm]http://www.wetwebmedia.com/rabbitfi.htm" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]

Past RFOTW:
1. [link=Polynemus paradiseus -- Paradise threadfin]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/46807.html" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
2. [link=Anableps anableps -- Four-Eyed Fish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/47270.html" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
3. [link=Hypancistrus zebra -- Zebra Plec]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/47753.html?200409261201" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
4. [link=Potamotrygon sp. -- Pearl Ray]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/47753.html?200409261201" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
5. [link=Merodontotus Tigrinus -- Tigrinus Catfish, Zebra Shovelnose]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/48196.html?200410031445" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
6. [link=Rhinopias aphanes -- Merlet's Scorpionfish, Lacy Scorpionfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/48511.html?200410101249" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
7. [link=Tetraodon pustulatus]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/48859.html?200410171215" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
8. [link=Astronotus orbicularis -- Bumblebee Oscar]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/49209.html?200410241022" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
9. [link=Parambassis pulcinella -- Rhino Glassfish, Humphead Glassfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/49556.html?200410312127" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
10. [link=Lepisosteus platyrhincus -- Golden Florida Gar]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/49807.html?200411070900" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
11. [link=Polyodon spathula -- Missippi Paddlefish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/50120.html?200411141732" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
12. [link=Pterois radiata -- Radiata Lionfish, Clearfin Turkeyfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/50432.html?200411211707" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
13. [link=Panaque suttonorum, Panaque suttoni -- Blue Eyed Plec]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/50738.html?200411281544" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
14. [link=Potamotrygon sp. -- P14, Itaituba Ray]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/51100.html?200412051413" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
15. [link=Brachyplatysoma juruense -- Juruense Catfish, False Tigrinus, Alianza Cat]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/51430.html?200412121807" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
16. [link=Neoceratodus forsteri -- Australian Lungfish, Queensland Lungfish]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/54184.html" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
17. [link=Paracheirodon simulans -- False Neon Tetra, Green Neon Tetra]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/54737.html?200502131642" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
18. [link=Osphronemus laticlavius -- Red Tailed Giant Gourami]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/55197.html?200502211654" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
19. [link=Osphronemus exodon -- Elephant Ear Gourami]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/55197.html?200502211654" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link]
20. [link=Synodontis granulosus]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/The%20Recovery%20Room/55533.html?200502271846" style="COLOR: #40FFFF[/link][/font]

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

awsome.

very well written, i was wondering if the RFOTW threads had died or not, i'm glad to see that they still live on
keep up the good work

Daka<<<<

Neat. I'd never even heard of this species of rabbitfish before.