Attains 74 cm. The most wide-ranging parrotfish, occurring from eastern Pacific to the Red Sea and south to Algoa
Bay; prefers shallow reefs and adjacent sandy areas of
lagoons and bays; more inclined to penetrate silty, murky
environments than other scarid fishes. The species is
coloured somewhat differently in the Pacific Ocean. Has
been given 20 different scientific names.
221.12 Scarus globiceps
Valenciennes, 1840
PLATES 1 08 & 110
Roundhead parrotfish
Rondekop-papegaaivis
Scarus globiceps Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1840: 242 (Tahiti);
Randall & Bruce, 1983: 23*. Callyodon globiceps Smith, 1956: 14*; 1959:
279*.
Median predorsal scales 4-6 (3rd or 4th largest); rows of scales on cheek
3, the lower row with 1-4 scales; P 14; GR 46-49; lips covering or nearly
covering dental plates; C slightly rounded to double emarginate. Initial
phase grey-brown with 3 whitish stripes on abdomen. Terminal males
green with an orange bar on each scale, the green anterodorsally on body
usually broken into spots; head with a green-edged orange band from
front of snout through eye to end of opercle; blackish spot at base of 4th D
spine; a dark bar across base of P, broadest and darkest dorsally; C green
with a submarginal orange band in each lobe.
Reaches 27 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Sodwana Bay. The
record of "Callyodon dubius" from a depth of 405 m off
Durban (Smith, 1964: 297) may have been based on a specimen of S. globiceps, but the stated depth is surely
erroneous.
221.13 Scarus niger
Forsskill, 1775
PLATES 107 & 108
Dusky parrotfish
Donker papegaaivis
Scarus niger Forsskal, 1775: 28 (Red Sea); Randall & Bruce, 1983: 24*.
Callyodon niger: Smith, 1956: 13*; 1959: 279*; 1962: 509; Smith & Smith,
1963: 41 *. Callyodon madagascariensis: Smith, 1956: 11*; 1959: 279* (initial phase).
Median pre dorsal scales 6-8 (the 5th largest); cheek scale rows 3, lower
row with 2-5 scales; P 13-15; GR 44-50; lips covering V4 or more of dental
plates; 7th and 8th A rays of males prolonged; C slightly rounded to
double emarginate, the lobes of males prolonged. Colour: see Key above
and illustration; C dark salmon pink in some males.
Attains 40 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Sodwana Bay.
Appears to be monandric (i.e. initial phase fish are all
females, terminal phase all secondary males).
221.14 Scarus psittacus
Forsskill, 1775
PLATES 106 & 111
Palenose parrotfish
Witneus-papegaaivis
Scarus psittacus Forsskat, 1775: 29 (Red Sea); Randall & Ormond,
1978: 242, Fig. 1A (neotype description); Randall & Bruce, 1983: 27*.
221: SCARIDAE (PARROTFISHES)
Xanothon parvidens Smith, 1956: 7, PI. 45 E (Bazaruto, Mozambique).
Xanothon bataviensis (non Bleeker): Smith, 1956: 6*; 1959: 278*; Smith
& Smith, 1963: 41*.
Median pre dorsal scales 3-5; cheek scale rows 2; P 13-14; GR40-50; lips
almost cover dental plates. Initial phase brown to reddish brown, shading
to light .orange-red on chest (in life, dorsal part of head may be pale); D
with diffuse dark brown spot at base of 1st membrane; C with a narrow
whitish rear margin; a small triangular blackish spot at upper P base. Terminal male with scales of body about half green and half salmon pink, the
green forming 4 or 5 longitudinal series of spots on side of C peduncle and
3 stripes on abdomen; dental plates white; C light orange with blue margins, a vertical series of blue spots in middle of fin with a diagonal blue
band joining uppermost blue spot to rear margin and another linking lowermost spot to margin.
A small species; largest Indian Ocean specimen
examined 27.4 cm. Red Sea and Indo-Pacific, south to Sodwana.
221.15 Scarus rubroviolaceus
Bleeker, 1847
PLATES 106,107 & 110
Ember parrotfish
Kool-papegaaivis
Scarus rubroviolaceus Bleeker, 1847: 162 (Java); Randall & Bruce,
1983: 28*. Callyodon africanus Smith, 1955: 19, PI. 3, Fig. 26 (Shimoni,
Kenya); 1956: 15*; 1959:280*; 1965: 33*; Smith & Smith, 1963:41*. Callyodon rubroviolaceus: Smith, 1956: 11 *; 1959: 278*; 1962: 509; 1965: 33*;
Smith & Smith, 1963: 41*. Margaritodon african us: Smith, 1961: 569,
No. 822a.
Median predorsal scales 5-7, subequal; cheek scale rows 3, lower row
with 1-3 scales; a single row of scales on interopercle; P 14-16; GR 52-58;
lips cover 1/1 to ¥3 of dental plates; each upper pharyngeal bone with a
single row of ridged molariform teeth; C truncate in small initial-phase
fish, emarginate in larger individuals (C concavity to 3.5 in head), and in
terminal males lunate, lobes strongly produced (maximum concavity 1.5
in head). Body of initial phase yellowish grey dorsally and on sides, the
scales with blackish edges and numerous short blackish segments set at
different angles, becoming light red ventrally; head brownish red dorsally,
shading to light red on snout and ventrally; dental plates light reddish to
white. Terminal male with blue-green teeth; C orangish with a semicircular blue-green region centroposteriorly and broad blue upper and lower
edges.
Attains 66 cm. Eastern Pacific to Durban, the most common parrotfish on reefs off Sodwana Bay. Most abundant in
areas of rich coral growth. In the Pacific, terminal males are
strongly bicoloured in life, the head and front third of body
abruptly darker than rest of body.
221.16 Scarus russelii
Valenciennes, 1840
PLATES 106,108,111 & 113
Eclipse parrotfish
Eklips-papegaaivis
Scarus Russelii Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1840: 234 (Coromandel
coast of India). Scarus russelii Randall & Bruce, 1983: 29*. Xanothon pentazona: Smith, 1956: 7*. Xanothon venosus: Smith, 1959: 278*.
Median predorsal scales 4; 2 rows of cheek scales; P 13-15; GR 48-52;
lips almost cover dental plates. Colour: initial phase reddish to purplish
713
Bay; prefers shallow reefs and adjacent sandy areas of
lagoons and bays; more inclined to penetrate silty, murky
environments than other scarid fishes. The species is
coloured somewhat differently in the Pacific Ocean. Has
been given 20 different scientific names.
221.12 Scarus globiceps
Valenciennes, 1840
PLATES 1 08 & 110
Roundhead parrotfish
Rondekop-papegaaivis
Scarus globiceps Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1840: 242 (Tahiti);
Randall & Bruce, 1983: 23*. Callyodon globiceps Smith, 1956: 14*; 1959:
279*.
Median predorsal scales 4-6 (3rd or 4th largest); rows of scales on cheek
3, the lower row with 1-4 scales; P 14; GR 46-49; lips covering or nearly
covering dental plates; C slightly rounded to double emarginate. Initial
phase grey-brown with 3 whitish stripes on abdomen. Terminal males
green with an orange bar on each scale, the green anterodorsally on body
usually broken into spots; head with a green-edged orange band from
front of snout through eye to end of opercle; blackish spot at base of 4th D
spine; a dark bar across base of P, broadest and darkest dorsally; C green
with a submarginal orange band in each lobe.
Reaches 27 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Sodwana Bay. The
record of "Callyodon dubius" from a depth of 405 m off
Durban (Smith, 1964: 297) may have been based on a specimen of S. globiceps, but the stated depth is surely
erroneous.
221.13 Scarus niger
Forsskill, 1775
PLATES 107 & 108
Dusky parrotfish
Donker papegaaivis
Scarus niger Forsskal, 1775: 28 (Red Sea); Randall & Bruce, 1983: 24*.
Callyodon niger: Smith, 1956: 13*; 1959: 279*; 1962: 509; Smith & Smith,
1963: 41 *. Callyodon madagascariensis: Smith, 1956: 11*; 1959: 279* (initial phase).
Median pre dorsal scales 6-8 (the 5th largest); cheek scale rows 3, lower
row with 2-5 scales; P 13-15; GR 44-50; lips covering V4 or more of dental
plates; 7th and 8th A rays of males prolonged; C slightly rounded to
double emarginate, the lobes of males prolonged. Colour: see Key above
and illustration; C dark salmon pink in some males.
Attains 40 cm. Indo-Pacific, south to Sodwana Bay.
Appears to be monandric (i.e. initial phase fish are all
females, terminal phase all secondary males).
221.14 Scarus psittacus
Forsskill, 1775
PLATES 106 & 111
Palenose parrotfish
Witneus-papegaaivis
Scarus psittacus Forsskat, 1775: 29 (Red Sea); Randall & Ormond,
1978: 242, Fig. 1A (neotype description); Randall & Bruce, 1983: 27*.
221: SCARIDAE (PARROTFISHES)
Xanothon parvidens Smith, 1956: 7, PI. 45 E (Bazaruto, Mozambique).
Xanothon bataviensis (non Bleeker): Smith, 1956: 6*; 1959: 278*; Smith
& Smith, 1963: 41*.
Median pre dorsal scales 3-5; cheek scale rows 2; P 13-14; GR40-50; lips
almost cover dental plates. Initial phase brown to reddish brown, shading
to light .orange-red on chest (in life, dorsal part of head may be pale); D
with diffuse dark brown spot at base of 1st membrane; C with a narrow
whitish rear margin; a small triangular blackish spot at upper P base. Terminal male with scales of body about half green and half salmon pink, the
green forming 4 or 5 longitudinal series of spots on side of C peduncle and
3 stripes on abdomen; dental plates white; C light orange with blue margins, a vertical series of blue spots in middle of fin with a diagonal blue
band joining uppermost blue spot to rear margin and another linking lowermost spot to margin.
A small species; largest Indian Ocean specimen
examined 27.4 cm. Red Sea and Indo-Pacific, south to Sodwana.
221.15 Scarus rubroviolaceus
Bleeker, 1847
PLATES 106,107 & 110
Ember parrotfish
Kool-papegaaivis
Scarus rubroviolaceus Bleeker, 1847: 162 (Java); Randall & Bruce,
1983: 28*. Callyodon africanus Smith, 1955: 19, PI. 3, Fig. 26 (Shimoni,
Kenya); 1956: 15*; 1959:280*; 1965: 33*; Smith & Smith, 1963:41*. Callyodon rubroviolaceus: Smith, 1956: 11 *; 1959: 278*; 1962: 509; 1965: 33*;
Smith & Smith, 1963: 41*. Margaritodon african us: Smith, 1961: 569,
No. 822a.
Median predorsal scales 5-7, subequal; cheek scale rows 3, lower row
with 1-3 scales; a single row of scales on interopercle; P 14-16; GR 52-58;
lips cover 1/1 to ¥3 of dental plates; each upper pharyngeal bone with a
single row of ridged molariform teeth; C truncate in small initial-phase
fish, emarginate in larger individuals (C concavity to 3.5 in head), and in
terminal males lunate, lobes strongly produced (maximum concavity 1.5
in head). Body of initial phase yellowish grey dorsally and on sides, the
scales with blackish edges and numerous short blackish segments set at
different angles, becoming light red ventrally; head brownish red dorsally,
shading to light red on snout and ventrally; dental plates light reddish to
white. Terminal male with blue-green teeth; C orangish with a semicircular blue-green region centroposteriorly and broad blue upper and lower
edges.
Attains 66 cm. Eastern Pacific to Durban, the most common parrotfish on reefs off Sodwana Bay. Most abundant in
areas of rich coral growth. In the Pacific, terminal males are
strongly bicoloured in life, the head and front third of body
abruptly darker than rest of body.
221.16 Scarus russelii
Valenciennes, 1840
PLATES 106,108,111 & 113
Eclipse parrotfish
Eklips-papegaaivis
Scarus Russelii Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1840: 234 (Coromandel
coast of India). Scarus russelii Randall & Bruce, 1983: 29*. Xanothon pentazona: Smith, 1956: 7*. Xanothon venosus: Smith, 1959: 278*.
Median predorsal scales 4; 2 rows of cheek scales; P 13-15; GR 48-52;
lips almost cover dental plates. Colour: initial phase reddish to purplish
713