Siganus woodlandi

Lore & Background

Siganus woodlandi was first formally described in 2005 by the ichthyologists John Ernest Randall and Michel Kulbicki, with the type locality given as the fish market in Noumea, New Caledonia. The specific name honors the ichthyologist David J. Woodland of the University of New England in New South Wales, Australia, in recognition of his research on the systematics of the family Siganidae.

The species has a compressed body with a depth that fits into its standard length 2.3 to 2.4 times. The dorsal profile of the head is concave, with a procumbent spine in the nape in front of the dorsal fin. The caudal fin is strongly emarginate. Like all rabbitfishes, the dorsal fin has 13 spines and 10 soft rays, while the anal fin has 7 spines and 9 soft rays; the fin spines hold venom glands. The head and body are pale blue with numerous small pale yellowish spots and highly irregular narrow yellow bands, creating a fine reticulated pattern over much of the head and body.

Siganus woodlandi has been collected from depths between 5 and 15 m off New Caledonia, although similar fishes have been photographed off Bali in Indonesia and from the Scott Reef and Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea; however, these records need to be verified. It is found in schools of about 10 to 100 fishes and feeds mainly on benthic algae, but seems to opportunistically feed on zooplankton too.

Reader's Guide

Siganus woodlandi is significant as a recently described species of rabbitfish, first formally recognized in 2005. Its description by Randall and Kulbicki adds to the known diversity of the family Siganidae, and its specific name honors David J. Woodland for his systematic research on the group. The species is endemic to New Caledonia, though unverified photographic records from Indonesia and the Timor Sea suggest a potentially wider distribution. Its presence in a fish market indicates it is occasionally caught and sold as food, highlighting its role in local fisheries. The species' schooling behavior, feeding on benthic algae and opportunistically on zooplankton, places it within the ecological dynamics of shallow reef environments. The venomous fin spines are a characteristic defense mechanism shared with other rabbitfishes. The reticulated coloration of pale blue with yellow spots and bands is distinctive. The species attains a maximum total length of 25.2 cm, making it a moderately sized rabbitfish. Its description underscores ongoing taxonomic work in the Western Pacific and the importance of market surveys in discovering new species.

Did You Know?

• The specific name honors ichthyologist David J. Woodland for his research on the systematics of the family Siganidae.
• This species has venom glands in its fin spines, like all rabbitfishes.