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Home > Fishes
> Parrotfishes
Updated 9/29/2024
Family
Scaridae
Parrotfishes
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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
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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
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Chlorurus
perspicillatus
SPECTACLED PARROTFISH,
Male |
|
Calotomus
cf. spinidens

SEAWEED PARROTFISH, Female |
Calotomus
cf. spinidens

SEAWEED PARROTFISH, Male |
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Calotomus
carolinus x zonarchus

HYBRID STAREYE x
YELLOWBAR PARROTFISH |
Chlorurus
perspicillatus x spilurus

HYBRID SPECTACLED x
BULLETHEAD PARROTFISH |
INDO-PACIFIC / HAWAII
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Calotomus carolinus
STAREYE PARROTFISH,
Female |
Calotomus carolinus
STAREYE PARROTFISH ,
Male |
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Scarus psittacus

PALENOSE PARROTFISH,
Female
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Scarus psittacus
PALENOSE PARROTFISH,
Male
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Scarus rubroviolaceus
REDLIP PARROTFISH,
Female
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Scarus rubroviolaceus
REDLIP PARROTFISH,
Male |
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Chlorurus
spilurus
BULLETHEAD PARROTFISH,
Female
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Chlorurus
spilurus
BULLETHEAD PARROTFISH,
Male
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INDO-PACIFIC
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Cetoscarus
ocellatus

SPOTTED
PARROTFISH, Female
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Cetoscarus
ocellatus

SPOTTED
PARROTFISH, Male
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|
Cetoscarus
ocellatus

SPOTTED
PARROTFISH, Juvenile
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Hipposcarus
longiceps
PACIFIC
LONGNOSE PARROTFISH, juv |
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Hipposcarus
longiceps
PACIFIC
LONGNOSE PARROTFISH, Female |
Hipposcarus
longiceps

PACIFIC
LONGNOSE PARROTFISH, Male |
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Scarus
ghobban
BLUEBARRED
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
ghobban
BLUEBARRED
PARROTFISH, Male |
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Scarus
dimidiatus

YELLOW-BARRED PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
dimidiatus

YELLOW-BARRED PARROTFISH, Male |
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Scarus
oviceps

EGGHEAD
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
oviceps

EGGHEAD
PARROTFISH, Male |
|
Scarus
altipinnis

FILAMENT-FIN
PARROTFISH, Female
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Scarus
frenatus

BRIDLED
PARROTFISH, Juv |
|
Scarus
frenatus

BRIDLED
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
frenatus

BRIDLED
PARROTFISH, Male |
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Scarus
forsteni
FORSTEN'S
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
forsteni
FORSTEN'S
PARROTFISH, Male |
|
Scarus
schlegeli

YELLOWBAND
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
schlegeli
YELLOWBAND
PARROTFISH, Male |
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Scarus
prasiognathos
GREENTHROAT
PARROTFISH, F & M |
Scarus
prasiognathos
GREENTHROAT
PARROTFISH, Male |
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Scarus
niger
SWARTHY
PARROTFISH, Juv |
Scarus
niger

SWARTHY
PARROTFISH |
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Scarus
flavipectoralis
YELLOWFIN
PARROTFISH, Female |
Scarus
flavipectoralis
YELLOWFIN
PARROTFISH, Male |
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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 |
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Chlorurus bleekeri
BLEEKER'S
PARROTFISH, Female |
Chlorurus bleekeri

BLEEKER'S
PARROTFISH, Male |
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Chlorurus
japanensis

JAPANESE
PARROTFISH, Female |
Chlorurus
japanensis

JAPANESE
PARROTFISH, Male |
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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
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WESTERN ATLANTIC
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Sparisoma
aurofrenatum
 REDBAND
PARROTFISH,
Female |
Sparisoma
aurofrenatum
 REDBAND
PARROTFISH,
Male |
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Sparisoma
chrysopterum
 REDTAIL
PARROTFISH,
Female |
Sparisoma
chrysopterum
 REDTAIL
PARROTFISH,
Female |
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Sparisoma
rubripinne

YELLOWTAIL
PARROTFISH,
Female
|
Sparisoma
rubripinne

YELLOWTAIL
PARROTFISH,
Male
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| Sparisoma
viride
STOPLIGHT
PARROTFISH, Female
|
Sparisoma
viride
STOPLIGHT
PARROTFISH, Male
|
| Scarus
taeniopterus

PRINCESS
PARROTFISH,
Female
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Scarus
taeniopterus

PRINCESS
PARROTFISH,
Male
|
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Scarus
iseri
 STRIPED
PARROTFISH, Female
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Scarus
iseri
STRIPED
PARROTFISH, Male
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Scarus
guacamaia

RAINBOW PARROTFISH,
Female
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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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