The Two Barred Rabbitfish (Siganus virgatus) is a stunning and incredibly useful addition to larger marine aquariums. Featuring a beautiful combination of yellow, silver and blue colouration with two distinctive dark vertical bands across its head, this attractive rabbitfish brings both personality and practical benefits to your saltwater aquarium.
Renowned for its excellent algae-grazing abilities, the Two Barred Rabbitfish is a fantastic choice for hobbyists battling nuisance algae. Constantly exploring the rockwork in search of food, this hardworking fish can help control various types of algae, including hair algae and bubble algae. Its generally peaceful temperament makes it an excellent addition to established marine community aquariums.
Key Features
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Excellent Algae Eater: Naturally grazes on nuisance algae, helping maintain a cleaner marine aquarium.
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Beautiful Colouration: Distinctive yellow and silver body with blue markings and two bold dark bands.
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Peaceful Temperament: Generally compatible with a wide range of marine community fish.
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Active Grazer: Constantly explores live rock and aquarium surfaces in search of algae.
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Hardy & Adaptable: A robust species suited to established marine aquariums.
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Reef Safe With Caution: Generally suitable for reef aquariums, although some individuals may nip at corals.
Two Barred Rabbitfish Care Guide
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Care Requirement
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Details
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Scientific Name
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Siganus virgatus
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Common Names
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Two Barred Rabbitfish, Double Bar Rabbitfish
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Care Level
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Moderate
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Temperament
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Generally Peaceful
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Maximum Size
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Approximately 28–30 cm
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Minimum Aquarium Size
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450 Litres
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Temperature
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24–27°C
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Salinity
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1.023–1.026 SG
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Diet
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Primarily Herbivorous
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Reef Safe
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With Caution
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Origin
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Indo-Pacific
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Aquarium Requirements & Compatibility
Two Barred Rabbitfish thrive in spacious, established marine aquariums with plenty of swimming room and live rock for grazing.
They are generally peaceful towards other marine fish and can make excellent companions for tangs, clownfish, wrasses and other suitable community species. However, they may display territorial behaviour towards other rabbitfish, particularly in smaller aquariums.
Although commonly kept in reef aquariums, they should be considered reef safe with caution, as some individuals may nip at soft corals or LPS corals, especially when insufficiently fed.
Important: Like all rabbitfish, the Two Barred Rabbitfish possesses venomous fin spines used for defence. Care should always be taken when handling, transporting or working around this species.
Feeding & Diet
The Two Barred Rabbitfish is primarily herbivorous and requires a varied diet rich in marine algae and vegetable matter.
Recommended foods include:
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Dried marine seaweed (Nori)
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Spirulina-based marine pellets
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Frozen marine herbivore preparations
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Naturally occurring aquarium algae
While these fish are excellent natural algae grazers, they should still receive regular supplemental feeding to maintain good health and reduce the likelihood of coral nipping.
Looking for an algae-eating fish with plenty of personality? The Two Barred Rabbitfish is an excellent alternative to traditional tangs, offering beautiful colouration, a generally peaceful nature and outstanding algae-grazing behaviour.
