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Home > Fishes
> Parrotfishes
Updated 3/24/2024
Family
Scaridae
Parrotfishes
Parrotfishes
are common on reefs where they feed upon algae and form harems.
These thick-bodied fish have stout jaws composed of fused teeth for
nibbling tough seaweeds or gnaw away coralline algae and live
coral. Bony plates within the throat pulverize the mix into fine
sand which eventually passes through the digestive tract to be deposited
back on the reef. They swim using the pectoral fins and start life
as females which are generally gray, red, or brown. Large fish may
eventually switch gender and assume a color pattern that includes some
blue, green or yellow. In Hawai'i parrotfishes are especially popular on the dinner table
and threatened by overfishing. |
Bite marks on coralline algae |
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HAWAII - ENDEMIC
Calotomus zonarchus
YELLOWBAR PARROTFISH,
Female
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Calotomus zonarchus
YELLOWBAR PARROTFISH,
Male
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Scarus dubius
REGAL PARROTFISH,
Female
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Scarus dubius
REGAL PARROTFISH,
Male
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Chlorurus
perspicillatus
SPECTACLED PARROTFISH,
Female
|
Chlorurus
perspicillatus
SPECTACLED PARROTFISH,
Male |
Calotomus
carolinus x zonarchus
HYBRID STAREYE x
YELLOWBAR PARROTFISH |
Chlorurus
perspicillatus x spilurus
HYBRID SPECTACLED x
BULLETHEAD PARROTFISH |
INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII
Calotomus carolinus
STAREYE PARROTFISH,
Female |
Calotomus carolinus
STAREYE PARROTFISH ,
Male |
Scarus psittacus
PALENOSE PARROTFISH,
Female
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Scarus psittacus
PALENOSE PARROTFISH,
Male
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Scarus rubroviolaceus
REDLIP PARROTFISH,
Female
|
Scarus rubroviolaceus
REDLIP PARROTFISH,
Male |
Chlorurus
spilurus
BULLETHEAD PARROTFISH,
Female
|
Chlorurus
spilurus
BULLETHEAD PARROTFISH,
Male
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INDO-PACIFIC
Cetoscarus
ocellatus
SPOTTED
PARROTFISH, Female
|
Cetoscarus
ocellatus
SPOTTED
PARROTFISH, Male
|
Cetoscarus
ocellatus
SPOTTED
PARROTFISH, Juvenile
|
Hipposcarus
longiceps
PACIFIC
LONGNOSE PARROTFISH, juv |
Hipposcarus
longiceps
PACIFIC
LONGNOSE PARROTFISH, Female |
Hipposcarus
longiceps
PACIFIC
LONGNOSE PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
ghobban
BLUEBARRED
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
ghobban
BLUEBARRED
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
dimidiatus
YELLOW-BARRED PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
dimidiatus
YELLOW-BARRED PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
oviceps
EGGHEAD
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
oviceps
EGGHEAD
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
altipinnis
FILAMENT-FIN
PARROTFISH, Female
|
Scarus
frenatus
BRIDLED
PARROTFISH, Juv |
Scarus
frenatus
BRIDLED
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
frenatus
BRIDLED
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
forsteni
FORSTEN'S
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
forsteni
FORSTEN'S
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
schlegeli
YELLOWBAND
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
schlegeli
YELLOWBAND
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
prasiognathos
GREENTHROAT
PARROTFISH, F & M |
Scarus
prasiognathos
GREENTHROAT
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
niger
SWARTHY
PARROTFISH, Juv |
Scarus
niger
SWARTHY
PARROTFISH |
Scarus
flavipectoralis
YELLOWFIN
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
flavipectoralis
YELLOWFIN
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
chameleon
CHAMELEON
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
chameleon
CHAMELEON
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
spinus
GREENSNOUT
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
quoyi
QUOY'S
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
rivulatus
RIVULATED
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
rivulatus
RIVULATED
PARROTFISH, Male |
Chlorurus
microrhinos
STEEPHEAD
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
globiceps
VIOLETLINED
PARROTFISH, Male |
Chlorurus
microrhinos
STEEPHEAD
PARROTFISH, Male |
Chlorurus
microrhinos
STEEPHEAD
PARROTFISH, Male |
Chlorurus bleekeri
BLEEKER'S
PARROTFISH, Female |
Chlorurus bleekeri
BLEEKER'S
PARROTFISH, Male |
Chlorurus
japanensis
JAPANESE
PARROTFISH, Female |
Chlorurus
japanensis
JAPANESE
PARROTFISH, Male |
Bolbometopon
muricatum
BUMPHEAD
PARROTFISH, Juv |
Bolbometopon
muricatum
BUMPHEAD
PARROTFISH, Juv |
Bolbometopon
muricatum
BUMPHEAD
PARROTFISH, Sub |
Bolbometopon
muricatum
BUMPHEAD
PARROTFISH |
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EAST ASIA
Calotomus
japonicus
JAPANESE
PARROTFISH, Female |
Calotomus
japonicus
JAPANESE
PARROTFISH, Male
|
WESTERN ATLANTIC
Sparisoma
aurofrenatum
REDBAND
PARROTFISH,
Female |
Sparisoma
aurofrenatum
REDBAND
PARROTFISH,
Male |
Sparisoma
chrysopterum
REDTAIL
PARROTFISH,
Female |
Sparisoma
chrysopterum
REDTAIL
PARROTFISH,
Female |
Sparisoma
rubripinne
YELLOWTAIL
PARROTFISH,
Female
|
Sparisoma
rubripinne
YELLOWTAIL
PARROTFISH,
Male
|
Sparisoma
viride
STOPLIGHT
PARROTFISH, Female
|
Sparisoma
viride
STOPLIGHT
PARROTFISH, Male
|
Scarus
taeniopterus
PRINCESS
PARROTFISH,
Female
|
Scarus
taeniopterus
PRINCESS
PARROTFISH,
Male
|
Scarus
iseri
STRIPED
PARROTFISH, Female
|
Scarus
iseri
STRIPED
PARROTFISH, Male
|
Scarus
guacamaia
RAINBOW PARROTFISH,
Female
|
Scarus
guacamaia
RAINBOW PARROTFISH, Male
|
Scarus
vetula
QUEEN
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
vetula
QUEEN
PARROTFISH, Male |
Scarus
coeruleus
BLUE PARROTFISH, Male
|
Scarus
coelestinus
MIDNIGHT PARROTFISH, Male
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