Bumphead parrotfish Pacific (Scarus perrico)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Scarus perrico
- Common name
- Bumphead parrotfish Pacific
- Category
- Fish
- Family
- Labridae
- Genus
- Scarus
- Size
- 30–75 cm
- Depth
- 3–30 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- rocky-reef
- Behaviours
- schooling, grazer
- Ocean zones
- Caribbean, Eastern Pacific, Indian Ocean & Red Sea
Description
Scarus perrico reaches 75 cm. Large Eastern Pacific parrotfish. Terminal males with characteristic massive forehead hump (melon), green-blue to gray-green body with pink-purple snout, electric blue lines on head. Females brown-beige mottled, more discreet. Protogynous hermaphrodite. Lives in schools from 3 to 30 m on rocky reefs from Gulf of California to Peru, Galapagos. Herbivore grazing algae and soft corals. Significant bioerosion of rocky reefs. Wide-angle photo subject for dominant males with impressive melon.
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Bumphead parrotfish Pacific?
- Bumphead parrotfish Pacific (Scarus perrico) reaches 30–75 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Bumphead parrotfish Pacific?
- Bumphead parrotfish Pacific is found between 3–30 m deep.
- Is the Bumphead parrotfish Pacific dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Bumphead parrotfish Pacific?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Bumphead parrotfish Pacific?
- Found in: Caribbean, Eastern Pacific, Indian Ocean & Red Sea.
Other species in the genus Scarus
- Scarus iseri - Striped parrotfish
- Scarus coelestinus - Midnight parrotfish
- Scarus coeruleus - Blue parrotfish
- Scarus vetula - Queen parrotfish
- Scarus taeniopterus - Princess parrotfish
- Scarus ghobban - Blue-barred parrotfish (Eastern Pacific)
Other species in the family Labridae
- Labrus merula - Brown wrasse
- Bodianus rufus - Spanish hogfish
- Bodianus pulchellus - Cuban hogfish
- Halichoeres pictus - Rainbow wrasse
- Halichoeres cyanocephalus - Yellowcheek wrasse
- Sparisoma chrysopterum - Redtail parrotfish
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 276057)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2393725)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia