Spawning aggregations, schooling behaviour and twice-yearly recruitment make the shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish (Siganus sutor) a major artisanal and subsistence fishery species in the Western Indian Ocean. However, published estimates of its maximum age and growth parameters vary considerably. In this study, we estimate the longevity of S. sutor at 4 years and an asymptotic length of 287.29 mm FL. When analysed by sex, males exhibited a larger L∞ (292.53 mm FL) than females (284.52 mm FL), yet likelihood-ratio tests and confidence ellipses formulated around L∞ and K values indicated no significant sex-based differences in growth profiles. Consistent with previous studies, S. sutor is short-lived, grows rapidly and experiences high mortality yet remains resilient to fishing pressure. However, given its importance to coastal fisheries throughout the Indian Ocean, we recommend a comprehensive, spatially comparative assessment of S. sutor life-history traits and population dynamics across its geographic range. This is necessary to determine whether inconsistencies in age and growth reported in the literature are due to the presence of a species complex with differing growth rates, mortality, behaviour or vulnerability to fishing.
Sabetian A., Owen C., Pope I., Haines L., Das A., Lilkendey J., Trip E.D.L., Zhang J., Govinden R. and Visconti V. (2026) Age‐Based Population Dynamics of the Shoemaker Spinefoot Rabbitfish (Siganus sutor) From the Seychelles. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 2026(1): 1279494. 10.1155/jai/1279494
@article{Sabetian2026,
Title = {Age‐Based Population Dynamics of the Shoemaker Spinefoot Rabbitfish (Siganus sutor) From the Seychelles},
Author = {Sabetian, Armagan and Owen, Charlie and Pope, Ieuan and Haines, Leah and Das, Ayon and Lilkendey, Julian and Trip, Elizabeth D. L. and Zhang, Jingjing and Govinden, Rodney and Visconti, Valerio},
Journal = {Journal of Applied Ichthyology},
Year = {2026},
Pages = {1279494},
Volume = {2026},
Doi = {10.1155/jai/1279494},
Abstract = {Spawning aggregations, schooling behaviour and twice-yearly recruitment make the shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish (Siganus sutor) a major artisanal and subsistence fishery species in the Western Indian Ocean. However, published estimates of its maximum age and growth parameters vary considerably. In this study, we estimate the longevity of S. sutor at 4 years and an asymptotic length of 287.29 mm FL. When analysed by sex, males exhibited a larger L∞ (292.53 mm FL) than females (284.52 mm FL), yet likelihood-ratio tests and confidence ellipses formulated around L∞ and K values indicated no significant sex-based differences in growth profiles. Consistent with previous studies, S. sutor is short-lived, grows rapidly and experiences high mortality yet remains resilient to fishing pressure. However, given its importance to coastal fisheries throughout the Indian Ocean, we recommend a comprehensive, spatially comparative assessment of S. sutor life-history traits and population dynamics across its geographic range. This is necessary to determine whether inconsistencies in age and growth reported in the literature are due to the presence of a species complex with differing growth rates, mortality, behaviour or vulnerability to fishing.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Sabetian, Armagan
AU - Owen, Charlie
AU - Pope, Ieuan
AU - Haines, Leah
AU - Das, Ayon
AU - Lilkendey, Julian
AU - Trip, Elizabeth D. L.
AU - Zhang, Jingjing
AU - Govinden, Rodney
AU - Visconti, Valerio
TI - Age‐Based Population Dynamics of the Shoemaker Spinefoot Rabbitfish (Siganus sutor) From the Seychelles
T2 - Journal of Applied Ichthyology
PY - 2026
SP - 1279494
VL - 2026
DO - 10.1155/jai/1279494
AB - Spawning aggregations, schooling behaviour and twice-yearly recruitment make the shoemaker spinefoot rabbitfish (Siganus sutor) a major artisanal and subsistence fishery species in the Western Indian Ocean. However, published estimates of its maximum age and growth parameters vary considerably. In this study, we estimate the longevity of S. sutor at 4 years and an asymptotic length of 287.29 mm FL. When analysed by sex, males exhibited a larger L∞ (292.53 mm FL) than females (284.52 mm FL), yet likelihood-ratio tests and confidence ellipses formulated around L∞ and K values indicated no significant sex-based differences in growth profiles. Consistent with previous studies, S. sutor is short-lived, grows rapidly and experiences high mortality yet remains resilient to fishing pressure. However, given its importance to coastal fisheries throughout the Indian Ocean, we recommend a comprehensive, spatially comparative assessment of S. sutor life-history traits and population dynamics across its geographic range. This is necessary to determine whether inconsistencies in age and growth reported in the literature are due to the presence of a species complex with differing growth rates, mortality, behaviour or vulnerability to fishing.
ER -
