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Collette's parrotfish (Nicholsina collettei) — Scaridae

Collette's parrotfish

Nicholsina collettei
Family: Scaridae
LC · Least Concern

The Collette's parrotfish (Nicholsina collettei) is a saltwater fish of the family Scaridae that grows up to 24 cm.

Length
24 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
20.0–50.0 m
Diet
Herbivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Algae or seagrass meadow
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

Collette's parrotfish is a parrotfish of the family Scaridae reaching about 24 cm. Like other parrotfishes its jaw teeth are fused into a beak, but less heavily calcified than in the true coral parrotfishes; with it the fish mainly clips and scrapes seagrass and algae. The colour differs by life stage and sex, from brownish-green in young and female fish to brighter green in males. Like many parrotfishes it is a protogynous hermaphrodite. The species lives near seagrass beds and rocky bottoms of shallow coastal water along the West African coast. It is traded locally as a food fish and plays a role in grazing seagrass beds.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Collette's parrotfish?

The Collette's parrotfish has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly green and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Collette's parrotfish live?

The Collette's parrotfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around algae or seagrass beds.

How big does the Collette's parrotfish get?

The Collette's parrotfish grows to a maximum of about 24 cm.

Is the Collette's parrotfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Collette's parrotfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Collette's parrotfish edible?

Yes, the Collette's parrotfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Colletts papegaaivis inferred
English name
Collette's parrotfish verified
Scientific name
Nicholsina collettei
Family
Scaridae

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
24.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Green sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater verified
Substrate
Algae or seagrass meadow verified
Min depth (m)
20.0 verified
Max depth (m)
50.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Herbivore verified
Social behaviour
Small groups verified
Territorial
Yes verified
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) verified
Sexual dimorphism
Yes verified

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten verified
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Nicholsina

More from the family Scaridae

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