Colours

Distinguishing features

A large fish with a green body covered in pink spots anteriorally, grading to pink scale edges posteriorally. The initial phase is grey below, whitish above, with dark spots on the lower half of the body, salmon pink fins and an orange eye. The juvenile is white with a broad orange stripe through the eye.

Size

Depth range

Synonyms

Distribution and habitat preferences

Mainly shallow flats and fronts of exposed reef habitats, although also seen in lagoonal and backreef patches occasionally.

Found in most locations around the Island.

Behaviour

Bicolour Parrotfishes have powerful jaws with covered teeth, and feed on both benthic turf algae as well as living coral tissue. They consume several tonnes of coral reef matrix per fish each year, however they do not form schools like the Bumphead Parrotfish, so their effects are not so localised. Spawning takes place in the summer months at reef passes and points with good water flow. The juveniles are solitary and mimic toxic flatworms and nudibranchs with their unusual colour scheme. Adult males maintain large territories in which they monitor several initial phase female fish. This species reaches at least 20 years of age.

Web resources

References