Shoemaker spinefoot (Siganus sutor)

Scientific name: Siganus sutor Valenciennes, 1835

Shoemaker spinefoot (Siganus sutor)

The Shoemaker spinefoot (Siganus sutor) is a brackish-water fish of the family Siganidae. Native range: Western Indian Ocean, Kenya to Knysna, South Africa and around islands in the western Indian Ocean. Perhaps occurring in the Gulf of Aden.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 13 - 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 7; Anal soft rays: 9 - 10; Vertebrae: 23. Coloration highly variable; influenced by substrate's color and mood of the fish. Upper greenish to sandy brown, paler below. Color patterns extend to the fins. Spines slender, pungent and venomous. Preopercular angle 88?-98?; cheeks with few scales; midline of thorax without scales between pelvic ridges. Long flap of anterior nostril shortens with increasing age.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Siganus sutor
Family
Siganidae (Rabbitfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
45.0
Common length
30.0
Depth range
20–50 m (66–164 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 20 - 50 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Indian Ocean: Kenya to Knysna, South Africa and around islands in the western Indian Ocean. Perhaps occurring in the Gulf of Aden.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Venomous
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tmax=2.5)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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