Food preferences in cultured rabbitfishes (Siganidae)

Abstract Four species of rabbitfishes, Siganus concatenata, S. oramin, S. striolata and S. virgata were held in rearing tanks and fed with benthic algae. Out of 101 algae species and 4 vascular plants offered, the fishes ate only 67 species. The electivity indices E, for 23 algae were determined. The species Enteromorpha intestinalis, Gracilaria confervoides and G. cylindrica proved to have the highest indices with E = 0.594, E = 0.269 and E = 0.182, respectively.