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Persian parrotfish (Scarus persicus) — Scaridae

Persian parrotfish

Scarus persicus
Family: Scaridae

The Persian parrotfish (Scarus persicus) is a saltwater fish of the family Scaridae that grows up to 50 cm.

Length
50 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–25.0 m
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Persian parrotfish is a parrotfish (Scaridae) from reef water of the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The species grows to about 35 cm and has a stocky, green-blue with pink cheek stripes body and fused teeth that form a parrot-like beak. With it it rasps algae and lichen from coral and stone; the digested limestone it excretes as fine sand. Many parrotfishes change sex and colour. At night it sometimes sleeps in a self-made mucus cocoon. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Persian parrotfish?

The Persian parrotfish has a torpedo-shaped body and is mainly green.

Where does the Persian parrotfish live?

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

How big does the Persian parrotfish get?

The Persian parrotfish grows to a maximum of about 50 cm.

Is the Persian parrotfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Persian parrotfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Persian parrotfish edible?

Yes, the Persian parrotfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Perzische papegaaivis sourced
English name
Persian parrotfish sourced
Scientific name
Scarus persicus
Family
Scaridae
Other names
Gulf parrotfish sourced

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
50.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Green sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Beak-shaped sourced

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) sourced
Sexual dimorphism
Yes inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
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 Scarus

More from the family Scaridae

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