Sixband Parrotfish, Scarus frenatus Lacépède 1802


Other Names: Bridled Parrotfish, Six-banded Parrotfish, Six-banded Parrot-fish

A male (terminal phase) Sixband Parrotfish, Scarus frenatus, in the Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia. Source: John Turnbull / Flickr. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:
Large male Sixband Parrotfish are dark bluish-green, with pink lines and bands on the snout, chin and head, a broad greenish band from the mouth to the pectoral-fin base, the rear of the body abruptly lighter blue, and a large pinkish to orange crescent-shaped mark on the tail. Females are greyish to reddish with 6-7 broad dark stripes along the sides and a pale tail base.

Parrotfishes change sex from male to female during their life cycle and vary in colour depending on their sex and growth stage.

Cite this page as:
Dianne J. Bray, Scarus frenatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2359

Sixband Parrotfish, Scarus frenatus Lacépède 1802

More Info


Distribution

Recorded in Australian waters from the Houtman Abrolhos to Cape Londonderry, WA, and north of Cape York to the Capricorn Group, QLD; also at Ashmore Reef, Timor Sea and Lord Howe Island. Elsewhere in the tropical, Indo-west Pacific. Juveniles have been seen as far south as Sydney Harbour.

Elsewhere, widespread in the Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific.

Species Citation

Scarus frenatus Lacépède, 1802, Hist. Nat. Poiss. 4: 3, 13, pl. 1(2). Type locality: Mauritius.

Author

Dianne J. Bray

Sixband Parrotfish, Scarus frenatus Lacépède 1802

References


Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls.

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Allen, G.R. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1994. Fishes of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 412: 1-21

Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls.

Allen, G.R., Cross, N.J. & Allen, C.J. 2006. Scarinae. pp. 1425-1434 in Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp.

Allen, G.R., Steene, R.C. & Orchard, M. 2007. Fishes of Christmas Island. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 2 edn, 284 pp.

Bellwood, D.R. 1994. A phylogenetic study of the parrotfishes family Scaridae (Pisces: Labroidei), with a revision of genera. Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement 20: 1-86.

Bellwood, D.R. 2001. Scaridae. pp. 3468-3492 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218.

Bellwood, D.R. & J.H. Choat. 1990. A functional analysis of grazing in parrotfishes (family Scaridae): the ecological implications. Environ. Biol. Fish. 28: 189-214.

Choat, J.H., L.M. Axe & D.C. Lou. 1996. Growth and longevity in fishes of the family Scaridae. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 145: 33-41.

Choat, J.H. & Randall, J.E. 1986. A review of the parrotfishes (Family Scaridae) of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia with description of a new species. Records of the Australian Museum 38: 175-228

Choat, J.H., van Herwerden, L., Robbins, W.D., Hobbs, J.P. & Ayling, A.M. 2006. A report on the ecological surveys undertaken at Middleton and Elizabeth Reefs, February 2006. Report by James Cook University to the Department of the Environment and Heritage. 65 pp.

Francis, M. 1993. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk, and Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. Pacific Science 47(2): 136-170 figs 1-2

Grant, E.M. 1975. Guide to Fishes. Brisbane : Queensland Government, Co-ordinator General’s Department 640 pp.

Grant, E.M. 1991. Fishes of Australia. Brisbane : EM Grant Pty Ltd 480 pp.

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 63: 9-50

Kuiter, R.H. 1997. Guide to sea fishes of Australia. A comprehensive reference for divers and fishermen. Frenchs Forest, NSW, Australia : New Holland Publishers I-xvii, 434 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. & T. Tonozuka, 2001. Pictorial guide to Indonesian reef fishes. Part 2. Fusiliers - Dragonets, Caesionidae - Callionymidae. Zoonetics, Australia. 304-622 p.

Lacépède, B.G. 1802. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : chez Plassan Vol. 4 728 pp. 16 pls.

Lau, P.P.F. & L.W.H. Li. 2000. Identification guide to fishes in the live seafood trade of the Asia-Pacific region. World Wide Fund for Nature, Hong Kong. 137 p.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37386016

Biology:Capable of changing sex

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:0-40 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:47 cm TL

Species Maps

CAAB distribution map