TRICOLOUR PARROTFISH
Scarus tricolor
Scarus tricolor Bleeker, 1847 Pectoral rays 14-15; median predorsal scales 6-7; 3 rows of scales on cheek, the lower row with 2-6 (usually 3 or 4) scales; terminal males and occasional large initial-phase fish with 1 or 2 conical teeth posteriorly on side of upper dental plate; lips covering about half of dental plates; caudal fin of initial phase slightly to moderately emarginate, of terminal males lunate; body of initial phase with longitudinal zones of color from dark brown to brown on back through yellow, green, blue, and light red, the scales strongly rimmed with black; head and chest very dark brown except dorsally over eye, where gray; caudal and anal fins red; dental plates white to pale rose; body of terminal males green, the basal half of scales yellow to salmon pink except for a narrow green band along back and a series of green spots forming a stripe on lower side; chest and narrow ventral zone below stripe pale green; dental plates deep blue-green; upper lip salmon pink with a submarginal blue-green band that continues across head below eye; a pink band bordered by blue-green on chin; an oblique green band passing through upper part of eye. Attains at least 40 cm. East coast of Africa to Indonesia and Philippines, east to Line Islands and Samoa Islands; only Palau in Micronesia; type locality, Java. Occurs primarily on seaward reefs. Scarus cyanognathus Bleeker is a synonym based on the terminal-male phase.

NameTricolour parrotfish 

Max Size55.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 9710); max. published weight: 2,500 g (Ref. 3488)

Environmentreef-associated; marine; depth range 2 - 25 m

Climatetropical

DistributionIndo-Pacific: East Africa south to Natal, South Africa (Ref. 5490) and eastward to Madagascar, Seychelles, Mauritius, Chagos Archipelago, and Maldives through the eastern Indian Ocean to French Polynesia and Pitcairn. Replaced by

MorphologyDorsal spines(total): 9; Dorsal soft rays(total): 10; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 9. Males differ slightly in head pattern and differences most obvious in females with yellow or red anal fins (Ref. 48636). Terminal phase similar to S. forsteni, differing primarily by having a yellow inner pectoral axil (Ref. 37816).

BiologyInhabits lagoon and seaward reefs, in areas with dense coral growth (Ref. 9710) up to at least 30 m. Usually solitary, sometimes in groups (Ref. 9710). Feeds on benthic algae (Ref. 3488).

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

Scarus tricolor

Species (Scarus tricolor) 6

Genus (Scarus) 148

Family (Scaridae) 228

Location (Water Tower) 80

Scarus tricolor

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