Five-saddle Parrotfish (female)

Scarus scaber is a member of the Scaridae family.

Description

This species grows to a maximum 37 cm in length and 900 g in weight.

Dorsal spines: 9; Dorsal rays: 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal rays: 9

Dental plates, ¾ to fully covered by lips, off white in Initial phase and blue-green in Terminal phase. No canine teeth. Caudal fin truncate or slightly emarginate in the Initial phase and lunate in Terminal phase.

Initial Phase: upper 1/3 of body with 4 alternating slightly diagonal bars of dark grey and yellow, lower 2/3 and ventral part of head whitish with a pink cast or light yellowish, the edges of the scales dusky (except ventrally). Head from lower edge of orbit upwards dark grey, suffused with yellow. Median and pelvic fins pale pink. Pectoral fins pale yellowish. In life may exhibit a dark stripe from side of snout through eye to upper end of operculum, and a broad zone of yellow on cheek below dark stripe.

Terminal Phase: dorsal part of head and anterior upper half of body dark purplish grey; rest of body green, the edges of the scales pale pink. A broad blue-green band from front of snout and lower lip across cheek to edge of operculum ending with a yellow patch immediately above pectoral fin base. Upper lip edged in pale pink. Chin salmon pink with transverse blue-green band. Dorsal fin orange with green base and broad blue margin. Anal fin blue with pale orange band basally. Pectoral fins with blue upper border, purple middle zone and the lower part blue. Pelvic fins pink with blue margin. Caudal fin blue with a band of orange in each lobe.

Distribution

This species is widely distributed in the Indian Ocean (and around the islands therein) from western Thailand and northwest Indonesia in the east (southwards to Cocos-Keeling), and west to the coast of Africa (as far south as Natal and north to Red Sea and Gulf of Aden).

Habitat

This species is either solitary, or forms small schools with other Scarus scabers. This species is rare in most ecosystems. Inhabits shallow lagoon reefs, in areas with dense coral cover. Feeds on algae by incessant grazing in coral reefs.