Bluebarred Parrotfish, Scarus ghobban Forsskål 1775


Other Names: Blue Chin Parrotfish, Blue Trim Parrotfish, Blue-barred Orange Parrotfish, Blue-barred Orange Parrot-fish, Blue-barred Parrotfish, Flame-breasted Parrot-fish, Green Blotched Parrotfish, Yellow Scale Parrotfish, Yellowscale Parrotfish

A female (initial phase) Bluebarred Parrotfish, Scarus ghobban, in the lagoon at Lizard island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, May 2010. Source: Charlie Shuetrim / iNaturalist.org. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial

Summary:
Males (terminal phase) are bluish to bluish-green with pinkish scale margins, two torquoise to greenish bands on the chin, and two behind the eye, a pinkish dorsal fin with a torquoise margin, and long caudal fin lobes. 
Females (Initial phase) are dull yellowish to orange-brown with 4-5 irregular indistinct darker bars along the side, blue bands around the mouth and eye, and a blue fin margins.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2021, Scarus ghobban in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2360

Bluebarred Parrotfish, Scarus ghobban Forsskål 1775

More Info


Distribution

Rottnest Island, and offshore reefs of Western Australia, and Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea, around the tropical north to at least Jervis Bay, New South Wales; also Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean, and the Lord Howe Province and Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species is widespread in the tropical, Indo-Pacific.
Inhabits sheltered inshore and lagoon reefs, often over sand/rubble areas. Juveniles prefer shallower lagoons, reef flats and patch reefs, usually around algal growth - and may enter silty inshore waters.

Features

Dorsal fin IX, 10; Anal fin III, 9; Pectoral fin 13-15; Median predorsal scales 6-8; Cheek scale rows 3: 1(6-7), 2(6-9), 3(3-5).
Terminal phase males usually have 2 conical teeth on side of upper dental plate (absent in females), with lips mainly covering the plates.
Caudal fin rounded in small females, with prolonged lobes in large adults. 

Feeding

Feeds on feed on benthic turf algae and detritus scraped from dead corals.

Biology

Protogynous hermaphrodite.

Fisheries

Taken as bycatch in artisinal fisheries in many parts of its range.

Similar Species

The specific name ghobban is the Arabic name for this parrotfish along the Red Sea, the type locality.

Species Citation

Scarus ghobban Forsskål 1775, Descriptiones Animalium: 28. Type locality: Jeddah, Red Sea.

Author

Bray, D.J. 2021

Resources

Bluebarred Parrotfish, Scarus ghobban Forsskål 1775

References


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

Allen, G.R. & Steene, R.C. 1988. Fishes of Christmas Island Indian Ocean. Christmas Island : Christmas Island Natural History Association 197 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. 

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. 

Alleyne, H.G. & Macleay, W.J. 1877. The ichthyology of the Chevert Expedition. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1(3–4): 261-281, 321-359, pls 3-9, 10-17 (described as Pseudoscarus nudirostris) See ref at BHL

Bellwood, D.R. 1985. The functional morphology, systematics and behavioural ecology of parrotfishes (Family Scaridae), Ph.D. thesis, James Cook University, Townsville.

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. & Choat, J.H. 1989. A description of the juvenile phase colour patterns of 24 parrotfish species (Family Scaridae) from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Records of the Australian Museum 41: 1-41.

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

Choat, J.H., Clements, K.D. & Robbins, W.D. 2002. The tropic status of herbivorous fishes on coral reefs. 1. Dietary analyses. Marine Biology 140: 613-623

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. 

Choat, J.H., Myers, R., Russell, B., Clements, K.D., Rocha, L.A., Lazuardi, M.E., Muljadi, A., Pardede, S. & Rahardjo, P. 2012. Scarus ghobban. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T190705A17798394. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T190705A17798394.en. Downloaded on 26 June 2020.

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 

De Vis, C.W. 1885. New fishes in the Queensland Museum. No. 5. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1 9(4): 869-887 (described as Pseudoscarus flavipinnis) See ref at BHL

Dudgeon, C.L., Gust, N. & Blair, D. 2000. No apparent genetic basis to demographic differences in scarid fishes across continental shelf of the Great Barrier Reef. Marine Biology 137: 1059-1066

Forsskål, P. 1775. Descriptiones Animalium Avium, Amphibiorum, Piscium, Insectorum, Vermium; quæ in Itinere Orientali observavit Petrus Forskål. Post Mortem Auctoris edidit Carsten Niebuhr. Adjuncta est Materia Medica Kakirina atque Tabula Maris Rubri Geographica. Hauniæ : Mölleri 1-19, i-xxxiv, 164 pp., 1 map. See ref at BHL

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 

Francis, M.P. 2019. Checklist of the coastal fishes of Lord Howe, Norfolk and Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific Ocean. figshare. Collection. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4428305.v2

Gill, A.C. & Reader, S.E. 1992. Fishes. pp. 90-93, 193-228 in Hutchings, P. (ed.)  Reef Biology. A Survey of Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs, South Pacific. Canberra : Australian National Parks Vol. 3, Kowari 230 pp. 

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

Gust, N. 2002. Scarid biomass on the northern Great Barrier Reef: the influence of exposure, depth and substrata, Environmental Biology of Fishes 64: 353-366

Gust, N. 2004. Variation in the population biology of protogynous coral reef fishes over tens of kilometres. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 61: 205-218

Gust, N., Choat, J.H. & McCormick, M.I. 2001. Spatial variability in reef fish distribution, abundance, size and biomass: a multi-scale analysis. Marine Ecology Progress Series 214: 237-251

Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S.J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Checklist and new records of Christmas Island fishes: the influence of isolation, biogeography and habitat availability on species abundance and community composition. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 184–202 

Hobbs, J-P.A., Newman, S .J., Mitsopoulos, G.E.A., Travers, M.J., Skepper, C.L., Gilligan, J.J., Allen, G.R., Choat, H.J. & Ayling, A.M. 2014. Fishes of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands: new records, community composition and biogeographic significance. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 30: 203–219 

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Hoschke, A., Whisson, G. & Moore, G.I. 2019. Complete list of fishes from Rottnest Island. pp. 150-161 in Whisson, G. & Hoschke, A. (eds) The Rottnest Island fish book. 2nd ed. Perth : Aqua Research and Monitoring Services.

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Hutchins, J.B. 1997. Checklist of fishes of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. pp. 239-253 in Wells, F. (ed.) The Marine Fauna and Flora of the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum. 

Hutchins, J.B., Williams, D.McB., Newman, S.J., Cappo, M. & Speare, P. 1995. New records of fishes for the Rowley Shoals and Scott/Seringapatam Reefs, off north-western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 17: 119-123 

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Richardson, J. 1846. Report on the ichthyology of the seas of China and Japan. Report of the 15th meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science 1845: 187-320 (described as Scarus pyrrostethus)

Whitley, G.P. 1933. Studies in Ichthyology No. 7. Records of the Australian Museum 19(1): 60-112 figs 1-4 pls 11-15 (described as Scarus toshiahttps://doi.org/10.3853/j.0067-1975.19.1933.691

Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37386001

Biology:Hermaphrodite

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:0-31 m

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:75 cm TL

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CAAB distribution map