By
Jon T Cole
Gold-Spotted Rabbitfish (S. punctatus)
The gold-spotted rabbitfish (S. punctatus) is a rather large species that can reach a maximum length of almost 16 inches, with most individuals staying under 12. It can be found around the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Palau, the Ryukyu Islands, the Ogasawara Islands, the Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands, and the Kapingamarangi Islands, as well as the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Thailand, and the South China Sea.
This species also schools when young in shallow estuaries, but is found in pairs in lagoons and on deeper reefs when mature.
Bicolored Foxface ( S. uspi)
A smaller species, the bicolored foxface (S. uspi) reaches a maximum length of about 9½ inches. Unlike many of the other species, it also has a rather small geographic range, being endemic to Fiji, with a few being reported around New Caledonia.
Still, the juveniles do live in schools with adults living in pairs in deep pools inside reef crests and around dropoffs at reef edges.
Blue-Lined Rabbitfish (S. doliatus)
S. doliatus has a lot of common names, typically being called the blue-lined rabbitfish but also going by the names scribbled rabbitfish, pencil-streaked rabbitfish, two-barred rabbitfish, and barred spinefoot.
It can reach a maximum length of almost 10 inches, but like the first three species mentioned, it is most commonly less than 8. It has a relatively small range, though, being found in the lndo-Malayan area and from Australia and Tonga north to Palau and Kosrae.
Juveniles do form schools and pair up at a relatively small size, but they may still travel in loose schools, oftentimes with other fishes. All are typically found in deep reef lagoons and along drop-offs at reef edges.
Aquarium Care and Compatibility
Rabbitfishes are categorically tough when it comes to dealing with disease and less-than-perfect water quality. They are as hardy as any other fishes we commonly keep in our aquariums. It's important to feed them well and give them the right foods, however.
All of these rabbitfishes are algae grazers in the wild, but they'll also eat meaty foods, including various types of zooplankton, brine shrimp, and bits of fish, clam, etc. I've also fed the species that I've cared for many types of flake foods and veggies from the grocery store. You can basically feed them a wide variety of foods in an aquarium.
It is important for you to give them plenty of plant matter in their diet, though, which may be primarily plantbased flake or frozen cube foods if you prefer. Spirulina flakes are also good, as is dried seaweed (nori and kombu). But if you use the latter, make sure to buy unseasoned types, as you don't want to dose your fishes with any sorts of additives, preservatives, etc.
Of course, the meaty things can be used as supplements, which the fishes seem to enjoy quite a lot given that they are considered to be herbivores. They'll typically get some of their own food by picking at algae growing on rocks and such in aquariums, and thus can be great cleaners. Be sure they get enough food to stay nice and thick, as a wafer-thin body and pinched-in stomach are bad signs.
Aside from their overall health, there's another important reason to keep them well fed. While it's usually not an issue, if they do get too hungry, they'll oftentimes start feeding on corals. Rabbitfishes have been known to nibble on various stony and soft corals and will likely go after things like zoanthids and button polyps first.
I personally have never seen this happen, as I keep my fishes well fed, but there are plenty of stories of them doing so. If you plan to keep any of these in a reef aquarium, be sure to keep the food coming and keep an eye on them in case they start eating things you don't want eaten.
When it comes to compatibility, rabbitfishes will typically get along fine with anything else that's not a rabbitfish of the same or similar species. However, you should always be aware that, like any other type of fish, each individual can have its own personality, and every once in a while, even the supposedly nicest fish can become a problem.
While juvenile rabbitflshes typically live in schools in the wild, trying to keep two or three of the same species of any of these in one tank will usually lead to fighting. It's an odd thing, but in the confined space of a tank, they just won't get along with each other. But if the tank is big enough and several small individuals of similar size are added simultaneously, their schooling nature sometimes overrides their aggression and they may get along - at least for a while.
In general, you'd need to add at least four or five at once, and even that won't guarantee peace. Personally, I think it's a bad idea to try this unless you've got a really big tank, as in at least several hundred gallons.
When it comes to adults, they should also be kept one to a tank, unless you can find a mated pair for sale, but I don't recall ever seeing a pair being offered together, so that's probably out. It may be possible to keep more than one if they're very different species, but again, I wouldn't try it unless you've got a really big aquarium.
Other than that, I guess the only other thing to recommend is having plenty of hiding places for a rabbitfish. While personalities differ, they oftentimes can be rather skittish and like to have some places to lay low. You should have some live rock or other decorations that they can go to if they feel like getting out of sight. To find out more, you can check out Gold Spotted Rabbitfish.
The gold-spotted rabbitfish (S. punctatus) is a rather large species that can reach a maximum length of almost 16 inches, with most individuals staying under 12. It can be found around the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, Palau, the Ryukyu Islands, the Ogasawara Islands, the Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands, and the Kapingamarangi Islands, as well as the eastern edge of the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Thailand, and the South China Sea.
This species also schools when young in shallow estuaries, but is found in pairs in lagoons and on deeper reefs when mature.
Bicolored Foxface ( S. uspi)
A smaller species, the bicolored foxface (S. uspi) reaches a maximum length of about 9½ inches. Unlike many of the other species, it also has a rather small geographic range, being endemic to Fiji, with a few being reported around New Caledonia.
Still, the juveniles do live in schools with adults living in pairs in deep pools inside reef crests and around dropoffs at reef edges.
Blue-Lined Rabbitfish (S. doliatus)
S. doliatus has a lot of common names, typically being called the blue-lined rabbitfish but also going by the names scribbled rabbitfish, pencil-streaked rabbitfish, two-barred rabbitfish, and barred spinefoot.
It can reach a maximum length of almost 10 inches, but like the first three species mentioned, it is most commonly less than 8. It has a relatively small range, though, being found in the lndo-Malayan area and from Australia and Tonga north to Palau and Kosrae.
Juveniles do form schools and pair up at a relatively small size, but they may still travel in loose schools, oftentimes with other fishes. All are typically found in deep reef lagoons and along drop-offs at reef edges.
Aquarium Care and Compatibility
Rabbitfishes are categorically tough when it comes to dealing with disease and less-than-perfect water quality. They are as hardy as any other fishes we commonly keep in our aquariums. It's important to feed them well and give them the right foods, however.
All of these rabbitfishes are algae grazers in the wild, but they'll also eat meaty foods, including various types of zooplankton, brine shrimp, and bits of fish, clam, etc. I've also fed the species that I've cared for many types of flake foods and veggies from the grocery store. You can basically feed them a wide variety of foods in an aquarium.
It is important for you to give them plenty of plant matter in their diet, though, which may be primarily plantbased flake or frozen cube foods if you prefer. Spirulina flakes are also good, as is dried seaweed (nori and kombu). But if you use the latter, make sure to buy unseasoned types, as you don't want to dose your fishes with any sorts of additives, preservatives, etc.
Of course, the meaty things can be used as supplements, which the fishes seem to enjoy quite a lot given that they are considered to be herbivores. They'll typically get some of their own food by picking at algae growing on rocks and such in aquariums, and thus can be great cleaners. Be sure they get enough food to stay nice and thick, as a wafer-thin body and pinched-in stomach are bad signs.
Aside from their overall health, there's another important reason to keep them well fed. While it's usually not an issue, if they do get too hungry, they'll oftentimes start feeding on corals. Rabbitfishes have been known to nibble on various stony and soft corals and will likely go after things like zoanthids and button polyps first.
I personally have never seen this happen, as I keep my fishes well fed, but there are plenty of stories of them doing so. If you plan to keep any of these in a reef aquarium, be sure to keep the food coming and keep an eye on them in case they start eating things you don't want eaten.
When it comes to compatibility, rabbitfishes will typically get along fine with anything else that's not a rabbitfish of the same or similar species. However, you should always be aware that, like any other type of fish, each individual can have its own personality, and every once in a while, even the supposedly nicest fish can become a problem.
While juvenile rabbitflshes typically live in schools in the wild, trying to keep two or three of the same species of any of these in one tank will usually lead to fighting. It's an odd thing, but in the confined space of a tank, they just won't get along with each other. But if the tank is big enough and several small individuals of similar size are added simultaneously, their schooling nature sometimes overrides their aggression and they may get along - at least for a while.
In general, you'd need to add at least four or five at once, and even that won't guarantee peace. Personally, I think it's a bad idea to try this unless you've got a really big tank, as in at least several hundred gallons.
When it comes to adults, they should also be kept one to a tank, unless you can find a mated pair for sale, but I don't recall ever seeing a pair being offered together, so that's probably out. It may be possible to keep more than one if they're very different species, but again, I wouldn't try it unless you've got a really big aquarium.
Other than that, I guess the only other thing to recommend is having plenty of hiding places for a rabbitfish. While personalities differ, they oftentimes can be rather skittish and like to have some places to lay low. You should have some live rock or other decorations that they can go to if they feel like getting out of sight. To find out more, you can check out Gold Spotted Rabbitfish.
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