Bicolor Parrotfish

Cetoscarus bicolor

Big parrotfish; juveniles white with an orange band, adults green-scaled.

Family

Scaridae

Avg Size

60-80 cm

Habitat

The bicolor parrotfish is closely related to the spotted parrotfish (Cetoscarus ocellatus), which is also sometimes called the bicolour parrotfish; the two were once treated as a single species, the only one in the genus Cetoscarus, but they differ substantially in molecular and morphological terms. A coral-reef dweller, it typically occurs in lagoons and on seaward reefs at depths between 1 and 30 m (3 ft 3 in and 98 ft 5 in), with small juveniles favouring dense coral and algae-rich areas. Individuals have nonetheless been found as deep as 40 m, venturing into the large coral systems within their range.

Behaviour

As in other parrotfishes, males hold territories. All individuals begin life as female within a female-dominated society and change sex only as they mature, generally with age, a shift driven by social and environmental cues; the change is triggered when no male is present in the group. The bicolor parrotfish reaches sexual maturity at around three years old, and because of this pattern of alternative gonochorism the largest fish in a population tend to be male. This flexible breeding structure has notable biological value, allowing the population's reproduction to adjust as numbers change.

Where & When to See It

Erg Somaya

Bicolor Parrotfish

Where & When to See It

More Fish