All fish / Siganidae

One Spot Foxface

Siganus unimaculatus

Also known as one spot foxface, onespot foxface, one-spot rabbitfish, blotched foxface, foxface rabbitfish, one spot rabbitfish, ヒトスジアイゴ, 单斑蓝子鱼, 一点狐狸

This rabbitfish has a bright yellow body and a black and white face that looks like a fox's snout. Most fish also have one black blotch on each side, which sets it apart from the plain Foxface, S. vulpinus. Aquarists keep it because it is hardy and grazes on nuisance algae.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Singly, or as a mated pair in a very large tank

Diet

Herbivore: nori and other marine algae, spirulina flakes and pellets, plus some mysis and brine shrimp

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Philippines, Indonesia, Great Barrier Reef, Ryukyu Islands

Breeding

It scatters eggs in open water, and the larvae spend a long time drifting as plankton. It has not been bred regularly in home aquariums, so nearly every fish sold is wild caught.

Good to know

Its dorsal, anal and pelvic spines carry venom and give a painful sting, so take care when netting it or working in the tank. It may nibble large polyp stony corals and some soft corals, and it can fight other rabbitfish.