Streaked spinefoot
A venomous rabbitfish with white spots and yellow lips.
The streaked spinefoot (Siganus javus)—also called the Java rabbitfish, blue-spotted spinefoot, blue-spotted trevally, Java spinefoot, or white-spotted rabbit-fish—is a marine ray-finned fish in the rabbitfish family Siganidae. It lives across much of the Indo-Pacific region.
Carl Linnaeus first described this species in 1766 as *Teuthis javus*, giving its type location as near Java, Indonesia. The genus name *Teuthis* has caused confusion: its type species, *Teuthis hepatus*, includes a specimen that matches the streaked spinefoot, but another specimen is clearly not a rabbitfish. The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has been asked to replace *Teuthis* with *Siganus* to match common usage. The species name *javus* is a Latin version of Java, the type locality.
This fish has a compressed body, with a depth just under half its standard length. Its head is small for a deep-bodied rabbitfish, with a slight dip above the eyes. A small triangular flap on the front nostril extends halfway to the rear nostril. A forward-pointing spine is embedded in the nape, in front of the dorsal fin. Like all rabbitfishes, it has 13 spines and 10 soft rays in the dorsal fin, and 7 spines and 9 soft rays in the anal fin. The caudal fin is slightly notched. It can reach 53 cm (21 in) in total length, though 30 cm (12 in) is more typical. The body is grey, fading to whitish below, with yellow cheeks and lips. Small white spots cover the head and upper body, irregular wavy stripes mark the mid to lower flanks, and most of the caudal fin is blackish. The dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins have golden spines and rays, with dusky or golden membranes; the pectoral fins are golden and translucent.
The streaked spinefoot ranges from the Persian Gulf east to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, north to Taiwan, and south to northern Australia—recorded from Darwin, Northern Territory, to north of Townsville, Queensland. One individual was caught off Syria in 2009, but its origin is unknown. It lives in shallow coastal waters, brackish lagoons, and on rocky and coral reefs, at depths from 1 m (3 ft 3 in) to 25 m (82 ft).
It forms small schools of up to 10 fish, feeding on benthic algae and bits of algae floating in the water. When not feeding, it often rests in midwater between 2 and 6 m (6 ft 7 in and 19 ft 8 in) deep.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Siganus javus
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The streaked spinefoot was first formally described in 1766 as Teuthis javus by Carl Linnaeus, with the type locality given as near Java in Indonesia. The genus Linnaeus placed it in, Teuthis, has the type species Teuthis hepatus for which one of the type specimens looks like this species, although the other is definitely not a rabbitfish, and the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has been asked to suppress the name Teuthis in favour of Siganus to reflect prevailing usage. The specific name is a latinisation of Java, the type locality.
The streaked spinefoot has a laterally compressed body with a depth just under half its standard length. The head is relatively small for a deep-bodied rabbitfish and has a slight indentation above the eyes. The front nostril has a small triangular flap extending back half the distance between the front and rear nostrils. There is a forward-pointing spine in front of the dorsal fin embedded in the nape. The overall colour is grey, fading to whitish on the lower body, with yellow cheeks and lips. Numerous small white spots cover the head and upper body, irregular sinuous stripes mark the mid to lower flanks, and a blackish area covers most of the caudal fin. The dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins have golden spines and rays, with membranes that may be dusky or golden, and the pectoral fins are golden hyaline.
The streaked spinefoot occurs in small schools of as many as 10 individuals, feeding on benthic algae and pieces of alga floating in the water column. They often rest in midwater at depths between 2 and 6 m when not feeding. The species has grooves in the spines of the dorsal, anal and pelvic fins containing venom glands; wounds may be relatively painful to humans but are usually not dangerous. The spines are used in self-defence.
Reader's Guide
The streaked spinefoot is a notable rabbitfish due to its wide distribution across the Indo-Pacific, from the Persian Gulf to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, north to Taiwan and south to northern Australia. It inhabits shallow coastal waters, brackish lagoons, and rocky and coral reefs at depths between 1 and 25 m. A single record from the Mediterranean Sea, an individual caught off Syria in 2009, exists but its origin is unknown. The species is caught using seine nets, gillnets, and fixed traps, and the fish are sold fresh. It is also used in aquaculture alongside Siganus sutor in Iran. Its venom, while not typically dangerous to humans, is similar to that of stonefishes, as shown in a study of a congener. The streaked spinefoot's taxonomy involves a nomenclatural dispute: the original genus Teuthis may be suppressed in favour of Siganus by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. This species reaches a maximum total length of 53 cm, though 30 cm is more typical, and is recognized by its grey body with white spots, yellow lips, and golden fins.
Did You Know?
- The streaked spinefoot was first formally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766 as Teuthis javus.
- The specific name javus is a latinisation of Java, the type locality.
- It has a forward-pointing spine embedded in the nape in front of the dorsal fin.
More in Parrotfish and Rabbitfish 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced