African Rabbitfish

The African Rabbitfish is a robust and hardy herbivore native to the Red Sea and the western Indian Ocean. It has a somewhat understated appearance compared to its flashier foxface relatives, displaying a mottled olive-brown to grayish body that can shift in intensity depending on mood and environment. When relaxed and settled, the fish may display subtle golden or greenish tones along its flanks. Its body is laterally compressed and oval-shaped, with the characteristically small, rabbit-like mouth shared by all members of the Siganidae family.

Reaching up to 12 inches in the wild, this is a moderately large species that requires a minimum tank size of 125 gallons with ample open swimming space. It is an exceptional algae grazer, capable of consuming large amounts of nuisance algae including hair algae, filamentous algae, and various macroalgae species. This voracious appetite for plant matter makes it a highly effective natural algae control option for large marine systems.

The African Rabbitfish is one of the hardiest and most disease-resistant rabbitfish species, making it an excellent choice for beginner aquarists with appropriately sized tanks. Like all rabbitfish, it possesses venomous dorsal and anal fin spines that can deliver a painful sting, so caution must be exercised during tank maintenance. It is notably one of the Lessepsian migrants, having colonized the eastern Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, where it has become an established species.