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Blue parrotfish (Scarus oviceps) — Scaridae

Blue parrotfish

Scarus oviceps
Family: Scaridae
LC · Least Concern

The Blue parrotfish (Scarus oviceps) is a saltwater fish of the family Scaridae that grows up to 45 cm.

Length
44.5 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–20.0 m
Diet
Herbivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The dark capped parrotfish is a parrotfish from the Indo-Pacific. The species grows to about 45 cm and has a parrot-like, beak-fused tooth plate; adult males are blue-green with a conspicuous dark cap over the head, females greyer. As a reef-dweller it rasps algae and aufwuchs from coral and rock with its beak and so helps create sand. Like many parrotfishes it is a protogynous hermaphrodite. The fish is a local food fish. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blue parrotfish?

The Blue parrotfish has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly green and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Blue parrotfish live?

The Blue parrotfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Blue parrotfish get?

The Blue parrotfish grows to a maximum of about 45 cm.

Is the Blue parrotfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Blue parrotfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Blue parrotfish edible?

Yes, the Blue parrotfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Donkerkap-papegaaivis verified
English name
Blue parrotfish verified
Scientific name
Scarus oviceps
Family
Scaridae
Other names
Blue parrotfish; Dark capped parrotfish; Darkcap parrotfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
44.5 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Green inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Crescent (lunate) inferred
Mouth position
Beak-shaped sourced
Lips
Thick / fleshy sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
20.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Herbivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Handlijnen en speervisserij sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Scarus

More from the family Scaridae

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