FORSTEN'S PARROTFISH
Scarus forsteni
Scarus forsteni (Bleeker, 1861) Pectoral rays 13-14 (rarely 13); median predorsal scales 6-7; 3 rows of scales on cheek, the lower row with 2-5 scales; large adults with 1 or 2 conical teeth posteriorly on side of upper dental plate; lips only partially covering dental plates; caudal fin of initial phase emarginate, of terminal male lunate; initial phase reddish brown to reddish gray dorsally, pale red or orange ventrally, with a broad, irregular, dark brown band from eye across operculum, broadening to a dark brown zone on side of body containing a large irregular area of dark iridescent blue and green in pectoral region, and usually a white or pink spot nearly as large as eye just off pectoral-fin tip; fins red; dental plates whitish; terminal males green, the scales with salmon pink edges or a bar of this color except solid pale green below a green line from pectoral-fin base along lower part of body, and dorsoanterior part of body, which is abruptly dark lavender-gray, continuing forward onto head above lower edge of eye; dental plates dark blue-green; upper lip edged in salmon pink with a broad, blue-green, submarginal band that continues across head below eye; lower lip broadly edged in blue-green; juveniles dark brownish red with 4 whitish stripes and vertical rows of whitish to pink spots. Largest specimen, 54.6 cm. Ryukyu Islands and Ogasawara Islands to Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia, east to Rapa, Tuamotu Archipelago, Pitcairn Islands, and all of Micronesia; Rowley Shoals off Western Australia and Cocos-Keeling Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean; described from Sulawesi and the Molucca Islands. Usually encountered on seaward reefs. Sometimes misidentified as Scarus lepidus Jenyns and S. tricolor Bleeker. Scarus lepidus is a synonym of globiceps, and tricolor is a valid species (Choat & Randall, 1986).

NameForstens parrotfish 

Max Size55.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 2334); max. published weight: 2,500 g (Ref. 3488)

Environmentreef-associated; marine; depth range 3 - 30 m

Climatetropical; 30°N - 28°S

DistributionIndo-Pacific: Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean (Ref. 30874) to the Pitcairn Group and the islands of Micronesia.

MorphologyDorsal spines(total): 9; Dorsal soft rays(total): 10; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 9. Males often confused with S. tricolor. Juveniles and females distinct in their markings on the sides (Ref. 48636). Scales large. 6-7 median predorsal scales; 3 scale rows on cheek, ventral row with 2-6 scales (usually 3-4). Caudal fin slightly to moderately emarginate in initial phase; deeply lunate in terminal male. Dental plates partially covered by lips. Terminal males and some large initial-phase fish with 1 or 2 canines posteriorly on upper dental plate.

BiologyOften found on exposed outer lagoon and seaward reefs, usually in rich coral habitats. Generally solitary. In Hong Kong live fish markets (Ref. 27253).

Fishbase Credit - Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2005.FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version (06/2005).

Scarus forsteni

Species (Scarus forsteni) 11

Genus (Scarus) 148

Family (Scaridae) 228

Location (Malayan Wreck) 76

Scarus forsteni

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