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Grey chub (Scarus iseri) — Scaridae

Grey chub

Scarus iseri
Family: Scaridae
LC · Least Concern

The Grey chub (Scarus iseri) is a saltwater fish of the family Scaridae that grows up to 35 cm.

Length
35 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
3.0–25.0 m
Diet
Herbivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Venomous / poisonous
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The striped parrotfish (Scarus iseri) is a small parrotfish of the family Scaridae from the western Atlantic and Caribbean. The species has a beak-like mouth of fused teeth with which it scrapes algae from the reef and seagrass. The colour varies strongly with life stage: juveniles and females are brown with white stripes, while terminal-phase males are blue-green with orange hues. It reaches about 35 cm and lives in schools over Thalassia beds and reef areas. The species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, in which fish first function as females and later turn into colourful males.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Grey chub?

The Grey chub has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly multicoloured and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the Grey chub live?

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

How big does the Grey chub get?

The Grey chub grows to a maximum of about 35 cm. On average the species is around 18 cm.

Is the Grey chub dangerous to humans?

The Grey chub is venomous — handle spines with care and seek medical help after a sting if needed.

Is the Grey chub edible?

The Grey chub is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Gestreepte papegaaivis sourced
English name
Grey chub verified
Scientific name
Scarus iseri
Family
Scaridae
Other names
Gutong; Mottlefin parrotfish; Mud-belly; Sammy johnson; Sleep on grass verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
35.0 verified
Average length (cm)
18.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Multicoloured inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes inferred
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Beak-shaped inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
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
Venomous / poisonous 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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