Siganus Article.

[3_high_low]

Thanks for the write up, Henry. I have a S. doliatus that's been a great addition to my tank. The LFS told me he came from Tonga. He's a handsome fish, mild mannered, and the best algae grazer I've ever had. He doesn't mess with tankmates at all; he lives with a Black cap basslet, two ocelaris clownfish, and a neon goby. In a short time he has stripped my tank of feather and grape caulerpa, he also enjoys diatoms. He has not harmed a single invertebrate, nor is he interested in the large black sponge that grows in my tank. I like this fish and I think he likes me. He's been in there for just a month and already feeds from my hand. Look out for those spines!

Now a question. I've been seeing various Siganus siganus species with increased frequency in stores. ($15-30) They all seem to have a cataract-like whitish glazing over the eye yet they seem otherwise healthy. Do you know why this is? Are they this way in the wild?

Thanks again!

 

[Skipper]

Hey 3_high_low. Henry is at IMAC and I believe he will return tomorrow.

 

[3_high_low]

Cool. I can wait.

 

[Sloeber]

sorry for the delay.

like you, i have noticed many of the Siganus (Siganus) sp. having this glaze over their eyes when in LFS's. unfortunately i have not been able to dive in the indo to see if this is also the case in the wild. therefore, i went ahead and emailed the best person i new of, dr. david woodland. i will post his reponse below, with small snips of my email to help setup the answer:

The question reads as follows:

>I've been seeing various Siganus species with increased frequency in stores. They all seem to have a cataract-like whitish glazing over the eye yet they seem otherwise healthy. Do you know why this is? Are they this way in the wild?

No. I can't remember seeing any thing like this in the wild. It is some time since I had any captive aquarium fish. I recall I have seen a sort of silvery grey mirror like reflection from within the eye in some aquarium held rabbitfish, but I think it could only be seen from certain angles, and I don't think it was peculiar to rabbitfishes. However, I do not think this sounds like the condition we are talking about.

Unfortunately I have never dove in the Indo, so I cannot comment on them having this cloudy eye in the wild. However, I can say I have also noticed it on several of the drab-colored species once they are in the local fish stores awaiting sale. Are you able to point me in the direction of where I can find more info regarding this?

I have lost contact with the few people that I used to know in the aquarium trade. Perhaps the best people to ask would be someone who is working on them. Again, I have lost contact, but there used to be some research on them
at the SEAFDEC centre in Iloilo in the Philippines. It is a very long shot that they are still working on them, but I could attempt to chase it up.

HTH

henry

 

[3_high_low]

Thanks HCS. I'll see if I can get a closer look and maybe a photo.

 

[cvye]

cloudy eyes

cloudy eyes

My Lo vulpinus had those cloudy eyes too. Didn't seem to affect him in any way. I say had, because when I moved, I moved most of my rock out of my 180 and left my fish in the tank. Big mistake. He totally freaked and displayed some of those bizarro pale color patterns. I lost him a day after moving him to his temporary home. Make sure you give these guys shelter at all/and especially stressful/ times!

 

[Angelfish]

Siganus Article

Siganus Article

Are the standard Aqua Gloves enough to protect from the poisonous spines ?

 

[ratziel]

I recently bought a one spot with the cloudy eye thing.Otherwise he is happy and healthy and eats well.

 

[Sloeber]

Are the standard Aqua Gloves enough to protect from the poisonous spines ?

i don't know and i have no intentions of finding out :lol:

 

[rocket_155]

where did you find out that down here we call rabbit fish, spinefoot ,cause they are commonally sold under the name rabbitfish or just plainly rabbits.
rocket

 

[Sloeber]

the revision of rabbitfish (woodland, 1990) stated as much.

HTH

 

[rocket_155]

thanks, also i have a question how well would Siganus vulpinus go in a preditor species tank?
i noticed that you stated that they are compatable with lionfish and eels.

thanks in advance

 

[Sloeber]

i see no reason why you cannot mix a spinefoot with lionfish or eels. though i have never personally kept this mix in an aquarium, i cannot think of a reason why they would not co-exist. just be sure to include proper foods for each fish.

HTH

 

[SurferStevo]

Cool. I can wait.

This is not the greatest picture but my siganus has the "caratact" thing as well. It always seemed to have it & it seems unaffected by it. It is only visible from a certian angle.
BTW - notice the hair in the photo? Yeah, he won't eat it - unless I pull it out for him!? That's why I bought him in the first place.
The spines don't bother me (althought it was cause for concern when I first got him), just keep your eyes open to where this guy is when your hands are in the tank. Besides I hardly ever feed the FO tank by sticking my hands in (not with a dogface puffer in there.

 

[Sloeber]

holly large photo batman!

 

[SurferStevo]

Sorry! I did not realize the size (IE6 - makes it fit into your browser window).

 

[Sloeber]

FYI, my IE 6 does not do this....

 

[TLowe]

What you are seeing is probably a reflection of the fish's retina or a slight hazing of the cornea -- not unheard of in aquariums or the wild. From the picture you included, I can see no sign of disease and if the fish is behaving normally, why worry? If you are concerned about the possible hazing effect you might want to move the fish to a hospital tank and treat with a common antibiotic (e.g., nitrofurazone) or -- more likely -- an antifungal, although I doubt this is necessary. Many LFS treat all their fish with either copper or sulfa preparations and this should have been sufficient.

As for using gloves....I would certainly recommend them and not to squeeze too hard! Seriously, I would strongly recommend herding the fish into a clear plastic jar and moving the fish that way. I am not fond of nets unless absolutely necessary, and certainly no one should use their bare hands with any marine life capable of breaking the skin. Caveat emptor!

Fish or invertibrate punctures should be washed with soap and water and an antibacterial salve applied. To take away the burning sensation, liquid Benedril can be used as well as common household ammonia. In more severe cases, or if you are having trouble breathing, get yourself to a doctor pronto!

I hope this helps.

Tim

 

[3_high_low]

I've noticed the clouding over the eye is the same as the greenish-yellow pigment found on it's body. I think what we are seeing is not pathology but some sort of protective coating.