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DANGEROUS MARINE ANIMALS 



the pelvic fins are spinous. Rabbitfishes are of moderate size, 

 usually valued as food, and abound about rocks and reefs from the 

 Red Sea to Polynesia. 

 Species of Rabbitfishes : 



Rabbitfish, Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn) (Fig. 55, Top). Found 

 throughout the Indo-Pacific region. 



Rabbitfish, Siganus lineatus (Valenciennes) (Fig. 55, Center). 

 Inhabits the Philippines, Santa Cruz Islands, New Guinea, Solomon 

 Islands, Australia, Okinawa, and the Ryukyu Islands. 



Rabbitfish, Siganus puellus (Schlegel) (Fig. 55, Bottom). In- 

 habits the East Indies, Philippines, Palau, Gilbert, Marshall, and 

 Solomon Islands. 



Fig. 57. Head of U ranoscopus scaber. Note the large spines protruding from 

 the area just above the pectoral fins. Wounds from these spines can be fatal. 



(Smithsonian Institution) 



Venom Apparatus. The venom apparatus of Siganus consists of 

 13 dorsal, 4 pelvic and 7 anal spines, and their associated venom 

 glands. A groove extends along both sides of the midline of the 

 spine for almost its entire length.. These grooves are generally 

 deep and contain the venom glands, which are located in the outer 

 one-third of the spine, near the tip. 



Medical Aspects. The symptoms produced by rabbitfish stings 

 are said to be the same as those produced by scorpionfishes. There 

 is no information available regarding the nature of the venom. 



