WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Indian Parrotfish

Chlorurus capistratoides

Also known as: Pink-margined Parrotfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2012
Adult
@fishx6 · Lady Musgrave Island, Australia · February 20121 / 5
01

Overview

Found in small schools, often mixed with other species, foraging for food over corals, in clear coastal and inner reefs rich in algae and coral growth.

Parrotfish are hermaphrodites and live in harems with a dominant male. They are not territorial, living and feeding in harmony with other species.
Their teeth are fused into powerful beaks which are used for grabbing filamentous algae from dead coral, often found feeding in a cloud of sediment.
At night parrotfish make a sleeping bag out of slime bubbles for protection against predators.
These beautiful fish whose males usually outshine the females for colour also change dramatically from juvenile to adult.

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How to identify

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indian Ocean, Western Central Pacific
  • Exact location · 2
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

Found in small schools, often mixed with other species, foraging for food over corals, in clear coastal and inner reefs rich in algae and coral growth.

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Adult photos 5

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Discussion 2

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ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

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Taxonomy

  1. familyScaridae
  2. genusChlorurus
  3. speciesChlorurus capistratoides (Bleeker, 1847)

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

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More in the family

Parrotfishes (Scaridae)