#rabbitfish

You get a Rivulated Rabbitfish

Foxface rabbitfish - Siganus vulpinus

Watch out! They are venomous!

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

Mermay 16: BeachGoth

For the first time since 2017, Ponzu finally has a proper reference sheet!

I’ve decided over the years that she’s an ambassador from her deep-water realm to the inland domain. She’s based on a Chimaera monstrosa, aka rabbitfish or ratfish, and they regularly swim into shallower waters at night, so I figured by extension she’s more suited than some of her fellows to be doing ambassador work. Her formal wear reflects her status as an ambassador, fancier than the average citizen but distinct from royal garb in color and adornments. She doesn’t like to be dressed up if she doesn’t have to be.