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Family
Scaridae
Parrotfishes
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Parrotfishes
are well-known for their size and bright colors. In Hawaii they
are especially popular on the dinner table and are a prime target of
spear and net fishermen. They are difficult to approach here, but
divers who have been to Midway know them to be indifferent to humans. |
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There are three distinct groups
in
Hawaii, two of which are the what might be called the typical Scarids, having fused beaks
with a smooth surface. They either have a gently tapering or blunt, angular head.
These feed upon minute algae cells living within reef rock (coralline algae) and
Porites coral. They grind this material into sand with bony plates in their throat, digest
the algal cells, and expel fine powdery sand as the end product, contributing to the
sediment. The genus Calotomus has a beak with a rough cobblestone
surface used to graze
leafy seaweeds. |
Bite marks on Porites coral
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Bite marks on coralline algae |
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HAWAII
Calotomus carolinus
Female, Koko Craters, 30 feet
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Male, Molokini, Maui, 50 feet |
Sleeping Male, Kailua-Kona Pier, 15 feet
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Female, Night, Hanauma
Bay, Oahu, 4 feet
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Juvenile, Waikiki Aquarium
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Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 20 feet |
Juvenile, Sea Tiger Wreck, Oahu, 95 feet
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Female, Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 50 feet |
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STAREYE PARROTFISH
PONUHUNUHU
Taiwan-budai
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Fairly common on reefs with ample seaweeds. Has rough beak
composed of fused pebble-like teeth. Feeds upon frondose seaweeds,
not stony material. Base of pectoral fin in juveniles dark
brown. Up to 20 inches. Hawaii, Indo-Pacific,
and Tropical Eastern Pacific.
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Calotomus zonarchus
Male, USS Macaw, Midway
Atoll, 40 feet
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Subadult, Angel Ledge,
Midway Atoll, 80 feet |
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Female, Angel Ledge,
Midway Atoll, 80 feet |
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YELLOWBAR PARROTFISH
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Endemic to
Hawaii. Rare in the main Hawaiian Islands, frequent at Midway.
Rough
jaws composed of fused pebble-like teeth. Feeds upon frondose
seaweeds. Mottled green becoming gray with age, with
small white dots.
Males have a yellow bar behind the pectoral
fins, white in females.
Up to 12 inches.
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Scarus dubius
Juvenile, Channel, Midway Atoll, 30 feet
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Male, Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 40 feet
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Female, Honaunau, Hawaii, 35 feet
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Female, Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 45 feet |
Female, Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 45 feet |
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REGAL PARROTFISH
LAUIA
Budai
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Endemic to Hawaii. Rare in the Main Hawaiian Islands but fairly
common at Midway. Males are variously colored pink, purple, and
orange. Females are reddish with pale band on edge of tail.
Up to 14 inches.
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Scarus psittacus
Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 4 feet
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Male, Kona Village,
Hawaii, 4 feet
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Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet |
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Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet
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Female, YO-257 Wreck, Waikiki, Oahu, 70 feet
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Male, Sea Tiger wreck, Oahu, 90 feet |
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PALENOSE PARROTFISH
UHU Budai
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Tapering head; lips nearly covering
teeth. Females mottled gray or olive brown,
reddish fins. Males mostly blue, yellow, and pink;
extended caudal lobes. Common and less than 10 inches long.
Hawaii and the Indo-Pacific.
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Scarus rubroviolaceus
Female, Hanauma Bay,
Oahu, 25 feet
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Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 3 feet |
Puako, Hawaii, 15 feet
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Female, Night, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 3 feet |
Female, Night, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 3
feet
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Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 35 feet |
Juvenile, Sharks Cove, Oahu, 30 feet
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Female, Night, Kapoho tidepool, Hawaii |
Female, Molokini Back Wall, 50 feet |
Juvenile, YO-257 Wreck, Waikiki, Oahu, 70 feet |
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REDLIP PARROTFISH
UHU PALUKALUKA
Budai
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Fairly common on shallow
reefs. The largest species in Hawaii, up to 28 inches. Elongate body with blunt angular head.
Caudal lobes elongated. Females purple & brown 2-color with dark scale
edges.
Males green, turquoise, and purple with 2-color scheme. Hawaii,
Indo-Pacific and the Tropical Eastern Pacific.
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Chlorurus
spilurus
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Lanai Lookout, Oahu, 40 feet
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Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet |
Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet
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Juvenile, Firehouse, Oahu, 25 feet |
Juvenile, Firehouse, Oahu, 25 feet
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Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet
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Bite marks on dead coral |
Female, YO-257 Wreck, Waikiki, Oahu, 75 feet |
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BULLETHEAD PARROTFISH
UHU
Budai
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Most common large
parrotfish in Hawaii. Up to 16 inches. Head gradually tapering to a blunt end.
Trailing edge of caudal fin straight. Female reddish brown with series of white spots toward rear.
Females’ caudal region light with large brown spot in center.
Male predominantly orange or yellow centrally. Hawaii, Central
& Western Pacific. Formerly known as C. sordidus.
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Chlorurus
perspicillatus
Female, Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 30 feet
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Female, Corsair, Midway Atoll, 115 feet |
Female, night, Tug Pier, Midway Atoll, 20 feet
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Male, Macaw Wreck, Midway Atoll, 30 feet |
Male, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 5 feet
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Male, Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 40 feet |
Female, Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 10 feet
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Female, Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 30 feet |
Harem, Midway Lagoon, 6 feet
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SPECTACLED PARROTFISH
UHU ‘AHU’ULA (female)
UHU ULIULI (male)
Budai
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Endemic to Hawaii. Common in the Northwestern
Hawaiian Islands. Broadly rounded body; head blunt. Caudal fin with straight trailing edge.
Female purplish brown with white caudal
peduncle and red tail. Male blue with purple overlay behind head and
scale margins. Yellow mark on pectoral fin bases. Two unequal saddle-like bars ahead of eyes.
Up to 24 inches.
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JAPAN
Calotomus
japonica
Female, Yawatano, Izu, Japan |
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JAPANESE
PARROTFISH Budai
| Inhabits rocky
reefs among seaweed. Attains 16 inches. Southern Japan, Korea, and Ogasawara Islands. |
INDO-PACIFIC
Cetoscarus
ocellatus
 Juvenile,
Wakatobi, Indonesia, 20 feet |
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SPOTTED
PARROTFISH
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Uncommon on coral reefs throughout the
Indo-Pacific excluding Hawaii. Attains 32 inches.
Formerly known as Cetoscarus bicolor which is restricted to
the Red Sea.
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Scarus
ghobban
Female, Cabo Pulmo, Baja California, Mexico |
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BLUEBARRED
PARROTFISH
| Common in shallow sandy reefs & bays throughout the Red Sea, Indo-Pacific and Eastern
Pacific, excluding Hawaii. Attains 28 inches. |
TROPICAL WESTERN ATLANTIC
Sparisoma
viride
Female, Grand Bahama Island |
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STOPLIGHT
PARROTFISH
| Common
on reefs of the
Tropical Western Atlantic. Attains 20 inches. |
Scarus
taeniopterus
Male, Grand Bahama Island |
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PRINCESS
PARROTFISH
| Common
on reefs Attains
12 inches. Bermuda to Brazil. |
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