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

 

 

HAWAII - ENDEMIC  

Calotomus zonarchus endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

YELLOWBAR PARROTFISH, Female

 

Calotomus zonarchus endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

YELLOWBAR PARROTFISH, Male

 

Scarus dubius  endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

REGAL PARROTFISH, Female

 

Scarus dubius  endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

REGAL PARROTFISH, Male

 

Chlorurus perspicillatus endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

SPECTACLED PARROTFISH, Female

 

Chlorurus perspicillatus endemic.gif (1686 bytes)

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


Scarus psittacus

 PALENOSE PARROTFISH, Male

 

Scarus rubroviolaceus

REDLIP PARROTFISH, Female

 

Scarus rubroviolaceus

REDLIP PARROTFISH, Male

 

Chlorurus spilurus

BULLETHEAD PARROTFISH, Female

 

Chlorurus spilurus

BULLETHEAD PARROTFISH, Male

 


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

 

 
   

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