Roundhead Parrotfish (juvenile)

Chlorurus strongylocephalus is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the family Scaridae.

Description

A large parrotfish with a steep head profile giving the head a rounded shape, and a lunate tail with long caudal-fin lobes. Males are greenish to bluish-green with a pinkish-lilac streak on each body scale, and a large yellow patch on the cheek. Females smaller. Females are yellowish-green to greyish above, and brown to pinkish below, with dark green around the mouth and dark bluish-green margins on the tail. Juveniles dark brown with 4 narrow pale yellowish stripes.

Teeth fused to form dental plates. Dental plates relatively smooth, and broadly exposed. Large adults have 1 or 2 canine teeth on side at rear of upper dental plates.

Distribution

It is native to the Indian Ocean. Its range extends from the Gulf of Aden and Socotra down the coast of East Africa as far south as Mozambique and across the Indian Ocean to western Indonesia.

Habitat

It lives in coral reefs. Inhabits lagoon and seaward reefs. Juveniles are usually solitary. Adults may form schools. Feeds on algae, and inhabits on reef edge.