
Rabbitfish (Siganus)
الصافي / السيجان / البطاطا
Safi / Sigan / Batata
The rabbitfish (marbled spinefoot) is one of the most common and most eaten fish on the Egyptian coast — known as Safi, Sigan, and in Egypt especially as 'Batata'. A herbivore that grazes algae over reefs and seagrass in big shoals, it's a staple shore and light-tackle catch. Handle with care: its fin spines are venomous.
Local names · what anglers actually call it
the name for Siganus rivulatus in Egypt (and Libya), per Arabic Wikipedia
source: Arabic Wikipedia ↗the wider Arabic names for the same rabbitfish
source: Arabic Wikipedia ↗Size
15–35 cm
Depth
1–30 m
Record weight
up to 2 kg
Habitat
Reef flats, seagrass beds, rocky shallows, harbours
Best seasons
Fishing techniques
Baits & lures
Did you know?
Rabbitfish have venomous spines — a sting is painful but rarely dangerous. They're famous in Suez and graze algae like underwater rabbits, which gives them their English name.