Could Siganus doliatus and virgatus be kept together?

[delphinus]

I'm new to Rabbitfish, and I have what I think is a Siganus virgatus:

I bought him thinking he might be S. doliatus which I have been wanting for some time, but after looking at many many pictures I think he's a S. virgatus.

Problem is, he's endeared himself to me now so I wouldn't dream of getting rid of him.

But say, should a S. doliatus come available, could I consider housing them together in the same tank?

Right now he's in a 110g cube tank (but will eventually be moved to a 280g when it gets ready to take on livestock).

 

[SitBackAndWatch]

That looks like it is a Doliatus... I could be wroung.

German site.
http://www.meerwasser-lexikon.de/de/18/1243/Siganus/doliatus.htm

 

[Amphiprion]

It looks like Siganus virgatus to me. S. doliatus' vermiculate patterning extends well into the anterior body, whereas it does not in smaller S. virgatus (which has blue spots as it gets older, not lines).
http://www.fishbase.org/Photos/PicturesSummary.cfm?StartRow=1&ID=4624&what=species

 

[delphinus]

Yeah, what threw me for a loop is that the lines between the black bands are.. well.. lines, not dots. And I knew that "lines means doliatus and dots mean virgatus" but that's all I knew. Now I see that virgatus can still have lines between the black bands.

He's pretty small, about 2.5" maybe 3" so it was a hard call. I was really hoping for a doliatus but it just seems like anytime I want something, it either becomes super expensive or just simply unavailable. I've been looking for a doliatus to come available since July/August.

What's your opinion on being able to keep virgatus and doliatus together?

 

[Amphiprion]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9006985#post9006985 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by delphinus
Yeah, what threw me for a loop is that the lines between the black bands are.. well.. lines, not dots. And I knew that "lines means doliatus and dots mean virgatus" but that's all I knew. Now I see that virgatus can still have lines between the black bands.

He's pretty small, about 2.5" maybe 3" so it was a hard call. I was really hoping for a doliatus but it just seems like anytime I want something, it either becomes super expensive or just simply unavailable. I've been looking for a doliatus to come available since July/August.

What's your opinion on being able to keep virgatus and doliatus together?

Oops, I guess I should have answered your original question. IME, they get along just fine, despite similarities, especially if they have the room of a 280. Honestly, I would wait to add your S. doliatus until after you have upgraded, since both of these are sizable fish (S. virgatus being larger than S. doliatus, though).

 

[delphinus]

Thanks for the info. Yeah, one of the reasons I wanted doliatus so badly was that it has the smaller max size. (Well, that, and I think they're pretty. )

I guess it's an academic question for now, until I actually see a doliatus for sale at a store it could be several months away for all I know.