Nutritional Value of the Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus; Forsskal & Niebuhr, 1775) and the Dusky Spinefoot (Siganus luridus; Ruppell, 1829) from Different Egyptian Marine Environments

Worldwide, fish is a reliable source for efficient protein, vitamins and essential nutrients required by the human body to maintain balance and overall health. This research aims to investigate the proximate composition (moisture, protein, lipid and ash levels) in two species of spinefoot fish, Siganus rivulatus and Siganus luridus, in some Egyptian marine waters. S. rivulatus samples were obtained by fishermen from Hurghada (representing the Red Sea), and from Suez, Ismailia and Port Said (representing the Gulf of Suez, the Suez Canal, and the Mediterranean Sea, respectively). Whereas, S. luridus samples were collected from Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt. The muscle tissue (flesh) of the samples was removed, weighed, and dried to measure moisture content, then prepared for proximate analysis of protein, lipid, and ash on an air-dry basis. The results indicated that the percentages of moisture and protein of S. rivulatus and S. luridus collected from the Mediterranean Sea was insignificantly higher compared to other studied areas. Ash content percentages showed differences across the study areas, with a small range of 5.173% for S. rivulatus in the Mediterranean Sea and 6.12% at the Suez Canal. Lipid percentages were displayed much significantly higher in S. rivulatus collected from the Mediterranean Sea (13.509%) and the Suez Canal (12.05%) and in S. luridus from the Mediterranean Sea (9.741%) compared to that in S. rivulatus from the Gulf of Suez (3.517%) and the Red Sea (2.783%).