Shoemaker spinefoot
📖 Overview
Inhabits inshore areas and inner reefs . Often occurs among seagrasses to browse on 'aufwuchs'. Forms schools. A food fish that is occasionally poisonous .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 13 - 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 7; Anal soft rays: 9 - 10; Vertebrae: 23. Coloration highly variable; influenced by substrate's color and mood of the fish. Upper greenish to sandy brown, paler below. Color patterns extend to the fins. Spines slender, pungent and venomous. Preopercular angle 88°-98°; cheeks with few scales; midline of thorax without scales between pelvic ridges. Long flap of anterior nostril shortens with increasing age.: fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Siganus sutor shows diurnal schooling behavior and feeds in shallow water habitats. They inhabit in inshore areas, particularly in seagrass beds and coral reefs (when they are adults). The depth range of the living habitat is from 1m to 50m, but usually from 1m to 12 m. When S. sutor is threatened, it will raise its dorsal fin for protection. Also, S. sutor returns to the same offshore coral patch reef aggregation site to spawn on subsequent full moons, migrating at most 3.3 km from fishing grounds closer to shore.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 50 m , usually 1 - 12 m . Tropical; 30°N - 6°S, 19°E - 112°E East Africa, Seychelles, Comoro Islands, Madagascar, Reunion, Mauritius and Rodriquez Island; East Andaman Sea off Thailand and Myanmar; Bali, Indonesia.
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
⚠️ Venom Profile
- immediate intense pain
- swelling
- erythema
- occasional nausea and weakness
Analgesia; wound care; tetanus prophylaxis; severe cases may require monitoring for systemic effects.
References: Compiled from Bhide (2018), Halstead et al. (1988) and family-specific envenomation literature
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Shoemaker spinefoot is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 19.3 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 149 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Shoemaker spinefoot has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (generic fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amphacanthus olivaceus | Valenciennes | 1835 | Synonym |
| Amphacanthus sutor | Valenciennes | 1835 | Synonym |
| Buro brunneus | Lacepède | 1803 | Heterotypic |
| Teuthis abhortani | Valenciennes | 1835 | Heterotypic |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 5 records indexed .
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