WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Stareye Parrotfish

Calotomus carolinus

Also known as: Bucktooth, Bucktooth Parrotfish, Caroline's Parrotfish, Carolinus Parrotfish, Christmas Parrotfish, Marbled Parrotfish, Spinytooth Parrotfish, Stareye Parrot, Starry-eye Parrotfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2012
Adult
@greatwhite · Sopu Beach, Tonga · October 20111 / 16
01

Overview

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food over coral, rubble, seagrass and weedy areas, along shorelines of reef flats, lagoons and seaward reefs rich in algae 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.

02

How to identify

Pattern
blotches
Head & Mouth
star eye

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific, Eastern Pacific
  • Dive site · 2
  • Country only · 14
LIVES IN

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food over coral, rubble, seagrass and weedy areas, along shorelines of reef flats, lagoons and seaward reefs rich in algae growth.

04

Adult photos 16

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. familyScaridae
    2. genusCalotomus
    3. speciesCalotomus carolinus (Valenciennes, 1840)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Parrotfishes (Scaridae)