Yellow Blotch Rabbitfish (Siganus guttatus)

Yellow Blotch Rabbitfish Siganus guttatus
Name	Yellow Blotch Rabbitfish
Name Lat.	Siganus guttatus
Family	Rabbitfishes
Family lat.	Siganidae
Order	Surgeonfishes
Order lat.	Acanthuriformes
Origin	Indo-Pacific
Habitat	Coral reefs, seagrass beds
Diet	Herbivore
pH	8.1-8.4
Hardness	8-10 °KH
Behavior	Peaceful
Keeping	Individual, pair
Reef Compatible	Yes
Care Level	Moderate
Life Span	8-12 years
Protection	No
Metric Units
Size	25 cm
Temperature	24-28 °C
Salinity	33-36 ‰
Aquarium	~ 1.000 l
US Units
Size	10"
Temperature	75-82 °F
Salinity	1.020-1.025 sg
Aquarium	~ 250 gal

Distribution and habitat

The range of Siganus guttatus is the entire Indo-Pacific region, from Malaysia to the Great Barrier Reef, where they live in groups mostly on shallow coral reefs and over seagrass and seaweed beds to depths of 6 m.

Maintenance

They need a well-structured aquarium with plenty of swimming space and a reef structure (hiding and retreat possibility) with living stones, which they can graze on (algae) and which act like a biological filter as well as fine-grained sand surfaces. Only lime-rich, heavy metal-free sands, gravels, stones or sea sand of various grain sizes may be used as substrate

Filters, skimmers and heaters are necessary to ensure water quality, as well as pumps to simulate tides, swells and bottom currents. Lighting must correspond to the species-appropriate day-night rhythm of the animals

Salinity: 33-36 ‰	pH value: 8.1-8.4
Carbonate hardness: 8-10 °KH	Nitrate content: 2-8 mg/l
phosphate content: 0.01-0.1 mg/l	nitrite content: 0.0-0.05 mg/l

For salinity, an average value should be aimed for, which may only vary slightly by +/- 0.5 ‰. Ammonia and ammonium must not be measurable. Special attention must be paid to constantly good water quality.

Diet

They feed mainly on algae. The change of diet does not always succeed without problems. The food supply should consist of a combination of commercially available algae and seaweed (e.g. nori, caulerpa) with scalded lettuce or spinach or a commercially available, vitamin-enriched frozen special food mixture for herbivores. Dry food (granules, tablets) with a high vegetable content is also well accepted. Live or frozen food such as Artemia, Krill or Mysis should only be offered in small quantities. Fine coral sand serves as a digestive aid for them

It is recommended to feed small portions several times a day. Regular and varied feeding promotes health and increases resistance.

Behaviour and compatibility

It is recommended to keep them in pairs. To avoid territorial fights, they should be placed in the aquarium at the same time. They are incompatible with other Siganus species, but can be socialized well with other, not too small fish.

Sex dimorphism

There are no known external distinguishing characteristics.

Reproduction and breeding

There are no known reports of successful breeding in the aquarium.

Important

All hard rays of the fins are connected at the base with a poison gland. Accordingly, special care is required when working in the aquarium. In case of direct contact is recommended to wear gloves. They are well suited to control the growth of algae in the aquarium.

As coral reef dwellers, they should not be maintained in a fish-only aquarium. When kept in pairs, with sufficient activity (live rocks, large reef surface) and frequent as well as varied feeding, they can be maintained in challenging coral tanks without being attacked. However, caution is advised when keeping them with shrimp.

If different species are kept together, care must be taken to ensure that the fish match each other in terms of water quality and temperature requirements, as well as their social behavior, and that the setup meets the needs of all species kept together. Newly introduced fish must be acclimated slowly to the water in the aquarium

Further literature can be found in your pet store.

References

Text: Lucie Schiemer; Image: Franz Lowak

Source: BAENSCH & DEBELIUS (2006): Meerwasser Atlas Bd. 1, Mergus Verlag; ENGELMANN (2005): Zootierhaltung - Tiere in menschlicher Obhut: Fische, Verlag Harri Deutsch

• Gemäß § 21 Abs. 5 Tierschutzgesetz idgF