Quoy’s Parrotfish

Scarus quoyi

Quoy’s Parrotfish

Scarus quoyi

Other Common Names
Green-blotched Parrotfish

Connected Coasts

Other Common Names

Green-blotched Parrotfish

At the Aquarium

Connected Coasts

Appearance

The color pattern of Quoy’s parrotfish varies between different growth stages and sexes. Because of this, individual species of parrotfish are difficult to identify. Quoy’s parrotfish can be distinguished mainly by its orange dorsal fin and the lime-green base of its tail fin. Its overall color is green to purplish or bluish. Quoy’s parrotfish also has green markings around its mouth and cheek area.

Quoy’s parrotfish grow to lengths of about 6.5 inches.

Like other parrotfish, Quoy’s parrotfish has a beak-like mouth, helping it scrape and eat algae off rock and coral.

Habitat

Coral-rich areas of outer channels and seawards coastal reefs including reef flats during high tides. Found at depths of 1 to at least 18 m.

Diet

Algae

Life History

Quoy’s parrotfish are protogynous hermaphrodites meaning all individuals are born female and are capable of turning male at some point.

During spawning eggs and sperm are released into the water. Parrotfish eggs are spherical and once hatched the larvae float and drift in the ocean currents.

After settling down from the postlarval stage they are dominant herbivores in coral reef habitats, growing from juveniles into adults.

Quoy’s parrotfish have been recorded to live alone or in small groups, often in harems with one male and several females.

IUCN Status

Least Concern

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

In Micronesia Quoy’s parrotfish is a food source in both subsistence and commercial fishing.

Quoy’s parrotfish play an important role in supporting the health of coral reefs because they help limit the growth of algae. While scraping algae off coral, parrotfish also ingest amounts of coral rock and sand. This is ground to a fine powder by special teeth at the back of the fish’s throat. When it is passed out with the feces, it contributes to the sand of the coral reef.

Found from the Maldives to Vanuatu, extending northwards to Ryukyu Islands, Japan and southwards to New Caledonia.

This animal is not native to the Oregon Coast, however is found in the larger Pacific Ocean. It lives in the Aquarium as part of our Connected Coasts gallery.

Like other species of parrotfish, Quoy’s parrotfish have a second set of teeth located in the back of their throat called pharyngeal teeth.

Citations & Other Resources

Myers, R., J.H. Choat, B. Russell, K.D. Clements, L.A. Rocha, M.E. Lazuardi, A. Muljadi, S. Pardede, and P. Rahardjo. 2012. Scarus quoyi. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012.

Myers, R. F. 1991. Micronesian reef fishes : a practical guide to the identification of the coral reef fishes of the tropical central and western Pacific (2nd ed.). Coral Graphics.

Liao, Y.-C., L.-S. Chen, K.-T. Shao, and I.-S. Chen. 2004. A Review of Parrotfishes (Perciformes: Scaridae) of Taiwan with Descriptions of Four New Records and One Doubtful Species. Zoological Studies, 43(3), 519–536.

Allen, G. R., and Western Australian Museum. 2009. Field guide to marine fishes of tropical Australia and South-East Asia (4th ed.). Western Australian Museum.

Quoy’s Parrotfish

Quoy’s Parrotfish

Other Common Names

At the Aquarium

Appearance

Habitat

Diet

Life History

IUCN Status

Ecosystem & Cultural Importance

Citations & Other Resources

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