| Remarks |
Postlarval & presumably the larval as well, are pelagic, live in dense schools away from the reefs in open water; presumed to feed on plankton. At an average size of 43 mm TL in spring, they perform highly synchronized mass migration onto the shoal areas of coral reefs. These small juveniles feed on finer textured algae (e.g. filamentous). As they mature, they ingest the coarser filamentous & fleshy algae, avoiding the blue-greens. Gross assimilation efficiency low; mean of 36% in juveniles, 16% in adults. This species is the smallest siganid; growth rate considerably low; hence, deemed not suitable for aquaculture. |