COMMON PARROTFISH
Scarus psittacus
Scarus psittacus Forsskål, 1775 Pectoral rays 13-15 (usually 14); median predorsal scales 4, the first largest in juveniles, the second in adults; 2 rows of scales on cheek; usually 1 conical tooth on side of upper dental plate of initial phase; usually 1 conical tooth on side of lower dental plate and 1 on upper plate of terminal males; lips largely covering dental plates; caudal fin of initial phase slightly emarginate, of large terminal males deeply emarginate; initial phase reddish brown to gray, the snout often paler than rest of head; a dark spot at base of first membrane of dorsal fin, and a small black and blue spot at upper base of pectoral fins; median fins colored like body; pelvic fins red; terminal male green posteriorly, the edges of scales pink, progressively more pink and less green on scales anteriorly; abdomen pink with longitudinal series of green spots following scale rows; head with a green band on edge of lips, joining at corner of mouth and continuing below eye; 2 additional green bands extending posterior to eye; snout to a vertical above posterior edge of eye dark purplish to lavender gray; dental plates white; some males with green of body partly or entirely replaced by yellow; juveniles colored much like initial phase. Rarely exceeds 30 cm. A common species found at nearly all Indo-Pacific localities; type locality, Red Sea. Initial phase often forms small feeding aggregations. Scarus forsteri Valenciennes is one of 18 synonyms.

NameCommon parrotfish 

Max Size30.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 2334); max. reported age: 5 years

Environmentreef-associated; marine; depth range - 2 m

Climatetropical; 32°N - 32°S

DistributionIndo-Pacific: Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay, South Africa (Ref. 5490) and east to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to Shark Bay, Western Australia and Lord Howe Island.

MorphologyDorsal spines(total): 9; Dorsal soft rays(total): 10; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 9. The initial phase closely resembles that of S. globiceps and S. rivulatus. May be differed according to the number of scale rows and scales on the ventral side.

BiologyInhabits reef flats and lagoon and seaward reefs to at least 25 m depth (Ref. 1602). Found over corals (Ref. 5213). Initial-phase fish stage usually form small feeding schools (Ref. 2334). Grazes on benthic algae (Ref. 3488). It secretes a mucus cocoon (Ref. 1602).

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

Scarus psittacus

Species (Scarus psittacus) 12

Genus (Scarus) 148

Family (Scaridae) 228

Location (Cook Island) 115

Scarus psittacus

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