Description:

Dorsal spines: 13; Dorsal rays: 10; Anal spines: 7; Anal rays: 9.

Body compressed, slender and fusiform. Small head with pointed profile. Silvery-yellow iris. Anterior nostril with a long flap reaching to or past posterior nostril. Deeply forked tail. Body blue above fading to silvery below with a dense network of small yellow spots that often form lines. Usually exhibits: a yellow stripe along dorsal fin base that extends to the dorsal surface of the peduncle, yellow spots on, and a dark brown bar on the upper margin of, the operculum.  Pectoral fins hyaline yellow. Caudal fin bluish grey with yellow spots on base and on outer rays; central rays yellow. Spinous part of anal fin mottled with white, yellow and brown.

When threatened or asleep, develops a mottled pattern very light and dark brown, with dark areas predominating in 7 diagonal zones across the sides; fins become mottled.

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range: 20 - ?cm. Max Length: 40cm TL. Common length 25cm TL.

(Both Woodland & Carpenter et al cite Maximum TL as “about 46 cm”). 

Inhabits coastal reef, lagoon, macroalgal, and seagrass habitats (depth 0-40m, usually 1-30m). Occurs in schools of 2 -100 individuals typically in the surge zone at reef edge. Feeds on red and green macroalgae. Unlike most siganids, this species is a pelagic spawner and has a pelagic larval duration of 3-4 weeks, allowing for wider dispersal of propagules and thus is more resilient to exploitation.

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the fish trap fishery and is a common component of the trap catch.

Venomous spines.

Superficially resembles Siganus canaliculatus particularly when young, but differs by having a much more deeply forked tail. 

Bray, D.J. 2017, Siganus argenteus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Mar 2019, http://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2214

Carpenter, K.E. et al 2016. Siganus argenteus. The IUCN Red List 2016: e.T69689070A115468608. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69689070A69690329.en. (19/03/19).

Froese, R. & D. Pauly. Eds. 2018. FishBase. https://www.fishbase.de/summary/siganus-argenteus (19/03/19).

Nevill, J. (2013). A Species Identification Guide for Commonly Caught Fish in the Seychelles Near-Shore Artisanal Fishery. GOS/UNDP/GEF.

Woodland, D.J. Siganidae. Rabbitfishes (Spinefoots) www.fao.org/docrep/pdf/009/y0870e/y0870e27.pdf (20/03/19).