Marbled Parrotfish, Leptoscarus vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard 1824)

Other Names: Blue-spotted Parrotfish, Marbled Parrot-fish, Slender Parrotfish

Summary:

A mottled greenish or olive brown wrasse. Males and females are similar in coloration, with males having a whitish midlateral stripe.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2025, Leptoscarus vaigiensis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 29 Mar 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/398

Marbled Parrotfish, Leptoscarus vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard 1824)

More Info

Distribution	Recorded in Australia from Rottnest Island, Western Australia, around the tropical north, to Sydney, New South Wales; also 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 Indo-Pacific, from the northern Red Sea and South Africa to Pitcairn Island in the Central Pacific, north to southern Japan, south to the Poor Knight's Island in New Zealand and Rottnest Island in Australia. Although widespread in the Indo-Pacific region, the Marbled Parrotfish is relatively rare in most parts of its range. Inhabits seagrass beds and algal-covered reefs in sheltered bays, harbours and lagoons.
Features	Dorsal fin IX, 10; Anal fin III, 9; Pectoral fin 13; Vertebrae 25. Body relatively elongate, depth 2.9-3.8 in SL; median predorsal scales 3-4; 1 scale row on cheek, 1(4), below eye; unique narrow dental plates composed of numerous small teeth.
Feeding	Feeds on seagrasses and algae.
Biology	Marbled Parrotfish usually occur in small groups. Unlike other parrotfishes, males and females look very similar and do not change sex. Larvae of this species is associated with drifting algae.
Etymology	The species is named for the type locality, Vaigiou (= Pulau Waigeo), Papua Barat, Indonesia, (the suffix -ensis, denotes a place).
Species Citation	Scarus vaigiensis Quoy & Gaimard, 1824, Voyage autour du Monde 1: 288. Type locality: Vaigiou [= Pulau Waigeo, Papua Barat, Indonesia]
Author	Bray, D.J. 2025
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Marbled Parrotfish, Leptoscarus vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard 1824)

References

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