Now a marine fish.
This is 泥猛(鱼) (ní měng (yú), literally ‘mud fierce (fish)’), Siganus spinus, Little Spinefish, Scribbled Rabbitfish, Blunt-nosed Spinefoot, Bluntnosed Spinefish, Marbled-spine Foot, Scribbled Spinefoot, Spiny Rabbitfish, or Spiny Spinefoot. Native to the coastal reefs of western Pacific from Japan, down through SE Asia and to Australia, it reaches a length of up to 28 cm / 11 inches but is more commonly around 18 cm / 7 inches.
Map: AquaMaps (2019, October). Computer generated distribution maps for Siganus spinus (Little spinefoot), with modelled year 2050 native range map based on IPCC RCP8.5 emissions scenario. Retrieved from https://www.aquamaps.org.
The species is known for often having a maze-like patterned skin, which unfortunately doesn’t show up on my picture. A better example is here.
Care is need in handling them as the fins are poisonous and can inflict painful stings.
They aren’t particularly common on fish counters here but are frequently used in fish pastes. There is some aquaculture, but it is limited.
