TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-likes)
Family: Siganidae (Rabbitfishes and Spinefoots) 

Genus/species: Siganus unimaculatus

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:   A dark chocolate ocular band occurs in an arc from base of 1st dorsal spine to chin with a narrow white blaze on midline of head profile. The thorax is dark chocolate and thee remainder of body is yellow-orange. Same as the Foxface Rabbitfish (S. vulpinus) except for the black spot or ‘blotch” on posterior upper side of body on S. unimaculatus.

Length up to 24 cm (9.5 inches)

Blotched Foxface Rabbitfish 13717964414_50be7e63d0_b

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Western Pacific: Ryukyu Islands of Japan, the Philippines, to western Australia. Found in coral rich areas of lagoon often among stag horn corals and seaward reefs to depth of 30 m (98 ft).

Blotched Foxface Rabbitfish13717573555_6773f7d8a1_b

 DIET IN THE WILD: Diurnal herbivore of algae and zooplankton

REPRODUCTION: Spawns during outgoing tides.

 CONSERVATION: IUCN Not Evaluated

REMARKS: Rabbitfishes are named for their voracious appetites. They have  venomous spines on dorsal and anal fins, as do all in the genus.

Also they are highly esteemed as a food fish

Some researchers believe S. unimaculatus and S. vulpinus are a single species. The color is the same as in except for the blackish spot posteriorly on the upper side of the body.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart Aquarium Philippine Coral Reef 2016

Ron’s flickr www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/13717964414/

fishbase www.fishbase.org/summary/4630

EOL eol.org/pages/221694/hierarchy_entries/44731451/details

Ron’s WordPress shortlink http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1fs