Siganus woodlandi is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is endemic to the waters off New Caledonia in the Western Pacific Ocean.
| Siganus woodlandi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Siganidae |
| Genus: | Siganus |
| Species: | S. woodlandi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Siganus woodlandi | |
Taxonomy
editSiganus woodlandi was first formally described in 2005 by the ichthyologists John Ernest Randall & Michel Kulbicki with the type locality given as the fish market in Noumea in New Caledonia.[2] The specific name honours the ichthyologist David J. Woodland of University of New England in New South Wales, Australia, in recognition of his research on the systematics of the family Siganidae.[3]
Description
editSiganus woodlandi has a compressed body which has a depth which fits into its standard length 2.3 to 2.4 times. The dorsal profile of the head is concave with a procumbermt 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. This species attains a maximum total length of 25.2 cm (9.9 in). The head and body are pale blue in colour with numerous small pale yellowish spots and highly irregular narrow yellow bands, these create a fine reticulated pattern over much of the head and body.[4]
Distribution and habitat
editSiganus woodlandi has been collected from depths between 5 and 15 m (16 and 49 ft) 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.[1]
Biology
editSiganis woodlandi is found in schools of about 10 to 100 fishes. They feed mainly on benthic algae, but they seem to opportunistically feed on zooplankton too.[1]
Fisheries
editSiganis woodlandi was described from a specimen obtained at a fish market, so it occasionally appears to be caught and sold as food.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Carpenter, K.E. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Siganus woodlandi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T69738962A115472510. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69738962A69742654.en. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Siganus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara, eds. (12 January 2021). "Order Acanthuriformes (part 2): Families Ephippidae, Leiognathidae, Scatophagidae, Antigoniidae, Siganidae, Caproidae, Luvaridae, Zanclidae and Acanthuridae". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Siganus woodlandi". FishBase. June 2021 version.