Blue-barred Parrotfish

The Scarus ghobban, known by a variety of names including the blue-barred undefined and cream undefined, is a fascinating species of marine fish belonging to the Scaridae family. This fish can be found throughout the Indo-Pacific region, including East Africa, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, the Galápagos Islands, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇦🇺 Australia, and extending east to 🇵🇫 French Polynesia. A recent addition to these numerous locales is the Mediterranean Sea, where the species was first recorded off the coast of 🇮🇱 Israel in 2001. It appears to be slowly expanding northward in Levantine waters, although it remains somewhat rare in this new environment.

The blue-barred undefined is an adaptable species, typically found at depths ranging from 1 to 90 meters. It flourishes in diverse habitats such as sandy bottoms, seagrass areas, marginal reefs, and even deeper waters. The environment it inhabits plays a key role in its development and behaviors.

This fish is quite striking in appearance, ranging in color from blue-green to green. It often features a central stripe that is pink on its dorsal and anal fins, while its underside can be pinkish or yellowish. Additional distinguishing features include blue markings near the pectoral fin area.

Growing quickly, Scarus ghobban can reach a maximum length of 75 cm, though its more common size is about 30 cm. With a lifespan that can stretch up to 13 years, this species tends to move in small schools and exhibits unique feeding behaviors. It has the remarkable ability to rotate its mandible bone rapidly, an action that aids in scraping and facilitates the hydrological movement of fine sediments in its habitat.

Reproduction in Scarus ghobban is an efficient process. Females release eggs into the water current, which hatch approximately 25 hours after fertilization. The young mature quickly, reducing their dependency on parental care and allowing them to thrive independently soon after birth.

While the blue-barred undefined is often caught by fishermen, both directly and as bycatch, it is not specifically targeted in fishing operations. Its dependency on coral reefs does pose potential threats due to ongoing degradation of these critical ecosystems. However, as of now, the species does not face immediate threats to its population.

As with other reef fish possessing a pelagic larval stage, Scarus ghobban exhibits high genetic diversity due to the regional currents that aid in gene flow. This genetic diversity is key to the resilience and adaptability of the species across its widespread range. For those interested in visual documentation, photos of the Scarus ghobban are available through various marine life collections, offering a closer look at this remarkable fish.