Magnificent rabbitfish
The magnificent rabbitfish ("Siganus magnificus"), also known as the magnificent foxface or the Andaman foxface, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is from the eastern Indian Ocean. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a length of . Taxonomy. The magnificent foxface was first formally described in 1977 as "Lo magnificus" by the American ichthyologist Warren E. Burgess with the type locality given as Phuket in the Andaman Sea off Thailand. Burgess placed it in the genus "Lo" alongside the other "foxfaced rabbitfishes" but  this genus is now subsumed within the genus "Siganus," although some workers still treat it as a subgenus. S. magnificus has an allopatric range to the closely related foxface rabbitfish ("S. vulpinus"), which has a wide Western Pacific distribution. The specific name "magnificus" means "splendid", a reference to the beautiful coloration of this fish. Description. The magnificent rabbitfish has an oval compressed body with a relatively elongated snout. There are 13 spines and 10 soft rays in its long dorsal fin, while the anal fin has 7 spines and 9 soft rays. It has a slightly forked caudal fin. This  species attains a maximum total length of , but it is rarely longer than . The background color of the body is white, broken by a large black saddle-like blotch with fine spots on its margins. There is also a black facial stripe. The pectoral, anal and caudal fins have bright yellow margins, while the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin has a pale red margin. Distribution and habitat. The magnificent rabbitfish is endemic to the Andaman Sea. It has been recorded with certainty from the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar, and the Surin and Similan Islands in Thailand, it may  also occur around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the west but it has not been searched for there. Reports of this species from Java and Sumatra require confirmation. It is found at depths between on coral reefs, most commonly on sheltered reefs among branching corals. Biology. "Signus magnificus" has a diet of on algae and small invertebrates. The adults are frequently encountered in pairs, while the secretive juveniles tend to occur solitarily and use the coral to provide shelter. Magnificent rabbitfishes are thought to have a lifespan of about 10-12 years, becoming sexually mature at 2 years old . The pelagic larval stage of this species means that there is likely only to be a single population. Conversation and utilisation. The magnificent rabbitfish is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. The reefs it is found on in Thailand are far enough offshore to be relatively safe from development and many are in protected areas. This species is collected for the aquarium trade.