Bicolour Parrotfish (species: Cetoscarus ocellatus) in Lizard Island Field Guide (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Cetoscarus ocellatus
Bicolour Parrotfish


©Andy Lewis: Male Cetoscarus ocellatus

©Anne Hoggett: Terminal phase Cetoscarus ocellatus at Cod Hole near Lizard Island.

©Anne Hoggett: Initial phase Cetoscarus ocellatus at Cod Hole near Lizard Island.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Perciformes
Family Scaridae
Genus Cetoscarus
Species Cetoscarus ocellatus

Colours

                                            

Distinguishing features

A large fish with a green body covered in pink spots anteriorly, grading to pink scale edges posteriorly. The initial phase is grey below, whitish above, with dark spots on the lower half of the body, salmon pink fins and an orange eye. The juvenile is white with a broad orange stripe through the eye.

Size

  • Up to 90 cm (Standard length)

Depth range

  • Depth range data is not yet available.

Synonyms

Similar taxa

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Distribution and habitat preferences

Mainly shallow flats and fronts of exposed reef habitats, although also seen in lagoonal and backreef patches occasionally.

Found in most locations around the Island.

Behaviour

Bicolour Parrotfishes have powerful jaws with covered teeth, and feed on both benthic turf algae as well as living coral tissue. They consume several tonnes of coral reef matrix per fish each year, however they do not form schools like the Bumphead Parrotfish, so their effects are not so localised. Spawning takes place in the summer months at reef passes and points with good water flow. The juveniles are solitary and mimic toxic flatworms and nudibranchs with their unusual colour scheme. Adult males maintain large territories in which they monitor several initial phase female fish. This species reaches at least 20 years of age.

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Bellwood, D.R. and J.H. Choat (1989). A description of the juvenile phase colour patterns of 24 parrotfish species (Family Scaridae) from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Records of the Australian Museum, 41: 1-41. LIRS catalog number 264.

Other references

  • Bellwood, D.R. (1985). The functional morphology, systematics and behavioural ecology of parrotfishes (Family Scaridae), Ph.D. thesis, James Cook University, Townsville. LIRS catalog number 310.
  • Bellwood, D.R. (1985). The functional morphology, systematics and behavioural ecology of parrotfishes (Family Scaridae), Ph.D. thesis, James Cook University, Townsville. LIRS catalog number 310.
  • View all references