Scarus psittacus, Common parrotfish : fisheries, aquarium

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Scarus psittacus Forsskål, 1775

Common parrotfish
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Scarus psittacus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) > Scaridae (Parrotfishes) > Scarinae
Etymology: Scarus: Greek, skaros = a fish described by anciente writers as a parrot fish; 1601 (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Forsskål.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 25 m (Ref. 58302). Tropical; 36°N - 35°S, 30°E - 123°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea south to Sodwana Bay, South Africa (Ref. 5490) and east to the Hawaiian, Marquesan, and Tuamoto islands, north to southern Japan, south to Shark Bay, Western Australia and Lord Howe Island.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 12.6, range 11 - 14.8 cm
Max length : 43.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 125599); max. published weight: 1.8 kg (Ref. 125599); max. reported age: 5 years (Ref. 13619)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 9. This species is distinguished by the following characters: median predorsal scales 4; 2 scale rows on cheek, 1(5-7), 2(4-7); pectoral-fin rays 13-15 (usually 14); female usually 1 conical tooth on side of upper dental plate, terminal male with single tooth on side of lower dental plate, lips largely covering dental plates; caudal fin slightly emarginate in small female to deeply emarginate in large TP male. Colour of male green to pale brownish with salmon pink or bluish scale margins, a lavender-grey snout, bluish to lavender caudal fin and the nuptial male with a brilliant yellow body; female overall reddish brown to grey, usually pale snout (Ref. 90102).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabit reef flats and lagoon and seaward reefs to at least 25 m depth (Ref. 1602). Found over corals (Ref. 5213, 58652). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Initial-phase fish stage usually form small feeding schools (Ref. 2334). Graze on benthic algae (Ref. 3488). Secrete a mucus cocoon (Ref. 1602).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Westneat, Mark | Collaborators

Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene, 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p. (Ref. 2334)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 18 September 2009

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 130160)





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 24.7 - 29, mean 28.1 °C (based on 2928 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01549 (0.01283 - 0.01870), b=3.04 (3.00 - 3.08), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  2.0   ±0.00 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.35; tmax=5).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (21 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   High.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 62.3 [39.0, 112.6] mg/100g; Iron = 1.12 [0.74, 1.78] mg/100g; Protein = 18.7 [16.6, 20.5] %; Omega3 = 0.0906 [, ] g/100g; Selenium = 25.9 [15.1, 44.1] μg/100g; VitaminA = 25.9 [7.2, 99.1] μg/100g; Zinc = 2.66 [1.95, 3.62] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.