Say hello to some of our “rabbits of the sea” - rabbitfish!
Best known to us as buwad or daing, danggit (Bisaya) is an affordable and ancient ingredient harnessed for dried fish. Also known as samaral (Tagalog), kuyug (Batangueño), and kitong (Cebuano), they are not only one of our favorite fish to eat, they themselves love eating plants!
They are known as the ocean’s herbivores (van Beijnen, Yan 2019). Depending on the species and age, they eat different kinds of “vegetables” in the sea, from algae to seagrass (Fishbase). They also help control algae growth in our coral reefs (Mayuga 2023).
There are 28 known species of rabbitfish (FAO), all of them in the genus Siganus. The term “rabbitfish” goes back to the early 19th century in England (OEM), probably because the faces of danggit reminded them of rabbits in their country (though I have yet to confirm this).
Featured here is Badlit or Suwat Binisaya once again, for danggit!
References
Jonah van Beijnen and Gregg Yan 2019 - How a Filipino scientist is making headlines by culturing marine herbivores https://thefishsite.com/articles/how-a-filipino-scientist-is-making-headlines-by-culturing-marine-herbivores
Fishbase - Siganus fuscescens (Houttuyn, 1782) Mottled spinefoot https://www.fishbase.se/summary/siganus-fuscescens.html
Jonathan L. Mayuga, April 1, 2023 - ‘Kuyug’: Calatagan’s famous fish. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2023/04/01/kuyug-calatagans-famous-fish/
FAO. Rabbitfish farming in Asia. https://www.academia.edu/84005560/Rabbitfish_Farming_in_Asia_UN_FAO_2022_?auto=download
Oxford English Dictionary (OEM) - Rabbitfish etymology https://www.oed.com/dictionary/rabbitfish_n?tl=true
