Gold-spotted Rabbitfish

The Gold-spotted Rabbitfish is an impressive and attractive species featuring a blue-gray to olive body densely covered with golden-orange spots that give it a peppered appearance. The spots become more closely spaced and vivid toward the head, and the fins display a similar spotted pattern. Growing larger than many other rabbitfish species, it makes a bold and eye-catching addition to spacious marine aquariums.

In the wild, the Gold-spotted Rabbitfish inhabits outer reef slopes, lagoons, and channels across the western Pacific. It is typically found in pairs or small groups, grazing on algae growing on rocky and coral substrates. Like all siganids, it possesses venomous dorsal and anal fin spines that can inflict a painful wound, and aquarists must handle this species with appropriate caution during tank maintenance or transfer.

This species is a voracious and indiscriminate algae eater, making it one of the best biological controls for nuisance algae in large reef aquariums. It will consume hair algae, bubble algae, bryopsis, and many other algae varieties that other herbivores ignore. The Gold-spotted Rabbitfish is hardy, disease-resistant, and accepts prepared foods readily, but its larger adult size of up to 16 inches necessitates a spacious aquarium of at least 180 gallons. It is reef-safe when properly fed, though extreme hunger may drive it to sample soft coral polyps.