Bluebarred Parrotfish

Scarus ghobban is a species of marine fish in the Scaridae family.

Description

This species is blue-green to green in colour and commonly grows to approximately 46 cm. It may have a central stripe on the dorsal and anal fins that is pink in colour. The underside of the body may be pinkish or yellowish. There may be blue markings around the area of the pectoral fin.

Distribution

Scarus ghobban is widespread, known to live in waters from East Africa to Indonesia. It has laso been found in the Mediterranean, likely having entered by way of the Red Sea. It also occurs at the Galápagos Islands.

Habitat

Scarus Ghobban occurs in places with sandy bottoms and in areas with seagrass. It is also known to live in marginal reefs and in deeper waters.

Ecology

Scarus ghobban grows quickly and can live up to 13 years. It tends to congregate in small schools.

Threats

While the species is captured in large numbers by fishermen for consumption and sale, and there is also a high amount of bycatch from other fisheries, it is not particularly targeted and appears not to be threatened at this point. As other parrotfish, it is dependent on coral reefs to some degree, and is likely to suffer from the continued degradation of same.

Synonyms

According to the World Register of Marine Species, synonyms include:

• Callyodon apridentatus (Smith, 1956
• Callyodon dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1840)
• Callyodon fuscocuneus (Fowler, 1935
• Callyodon ghobban (Forsskål, 1775)
• Callyodon guttatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
• Callyodon speigleri (Smith, 1956
• Hemistoma reticulata (Swainson, 1839
• Pseudoscarus californiensis (Pellegrin, 1901
• Pseudoscarus cantori (Bleeker, 1861
• Pseudoscarus flavipinnis (De Vis, 1885
• Pseudoscarus garretti (Günther, 1909
• Pseudoscarus natalensis (Gilchrist & Thompson, 1909
• Pseudoscarus nudirostris (Alleyne & MacLeay, 1877
• Pseudoscarus papuensis (MacLeay, 1883
• Scarus azureus (Meek & Hildebrand, 1928
• Scarus dussumieri (Valenciennes, 1840
• Scarus fehlmanni Schultz, 1969
• Scarus ghoban Forsskål, 1775 (misspelling)
• Scarus guttatus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
• Scarus haridoides Bleeker, 1855
• Scarus lacerta Valenciennes, 1840
• Scarus maculosus Lacepède, 1802
• Scarus magrathii Bennett, 1841
• Scarus noyesi (Heller & Snodgrass, 1903)
• Scarus pepo (Bennett, 1830)
• Scarus pyrrostethus (Richardson, 1846)
• Scarus pyrrostethus (Australianus Paradice, 1927)
• Scarus scabriusculus (Valenciennes, 1840)
• Scarus toshi (Whitley, 1933)