White-spotted spinefoot

Siganus canaliculatus

Siganus canaliculatus inhabit inshore, algae reefs, estuaries and in large lagoons with algae-rubble habitats. Mainly common on rocky substrates. In contrast to S. fuscescens, 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.
White-Spotted Rabbitfish The White-Spotted Rabbitfish - Siganus canaliculatus is greenish to yellow-brown with numerous bluish white spots (change to mottled patterns when resting on bottom); often dark spots behind upper gill opening. Form aggregations. Cebu,Fish,Geotagged,Malapascua,Philippines,Rabbitfish,Siganus canaliculatus,Spring,White-Spotted Rabbitfish,White-spotted spinefoot

Appearance

Max length : 30.0 cm. Dorsal spines (total): 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 7; Anal soft rays: 9; Vertebrae: 23.
Body silvery gray above, silvery below; a touch of olive green on nape and upper surface of head; fright pattern mottled with pale cream and dark brown; usually fish display a dark patch just below origin of lateral line. Preopercular angle 89°-96°; cheeks appear to be scaleless but sometimes with few to many, fine, embedded scales on lower 2/3; midline of thorax scaleless between pelvic ridges. Margin of anterior nostril encircled by a low flange with the flap extending towards posterior flap; flap shortens with increasing size.
Closely resembles S. fuscescens but differs by its slightly more pointed snout and longer pectoral fins (1.1-1.3 in HL vs. 1.4-1.5 in S. fuscescens). Color pattern is similar to that of S. argenteus and S. fuscescens.
Sleeping Rabbitfish This White-Spotted Rabbitfish - Siganus canaliculatus takes on different coloration and markings when resting/sleeping at night on the bottom, displaying mottled pattern of large brown blotches and obscure bars; also covered with numerous tiny pale brown spots and large whitish spots; often dark blotch behind upper gill opening. Anilao,Batangas,Fish,Geotagged,Philippines,Rabbitfish,Siganus canaliculatus,Summer,White-spotted spinefoot

Naming

Synonyms
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)
White-Spotted Spinefoot (Siganus canaliculatus) Night dive in Coconut Garden, Lembeh. Geotagged,Indonesia,Siganus canaliculatus,Spring,White-spotted spinefoot

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Cambodia, Viet Nam, south China, Taiwan and Western Australia. Also known from Ryukyu Islands; Palau and Yap in Micronesia and Melanesia.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SIGANUS-ORAMIN.html
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderAcanthuriformes
FamilySiganidae
GenusSiganus
SpeciesSiganus canaliculatus
Photographed in
Indonesia
Philippines