Description:

Dorsal spines: 9; Dorsal rays: 10; Anal spines: 3; Anal rays: 9

Small to small-medium sized parrotfish. Dental plates, ¾ to fully covered by lips, off white in Initial phase and blue-green in Terminal phase. No canine 
teeth. Caudal fin truncate or slightly emarginate in the Initial phase and lunate in Terminal phase.

Initial Phase: upper 1/3 of body with 4 alternating slightly diagonal bars of dark grey and yellow, lower 2/3 and ventral part of head whitish with a 
pink cast or light yellowish, the edges of the scales dusky (except ventrally). Head from lower edge of orbit upwards dark grey, suffused with yellow. 
Median and pelvic fins pale pink. Pectoral fins pale yellowish. In life may exhibit a dark stripe from side of snout through eye to upper end of operculum,
and a broad zone of yellow on cheek below dark stripe.

Terminal Phase: dorsal part of head and anterior upper half of body dark purplish grey; rest of body green, the edges of the scales pale pink. A broad 
blue-green band from front of snout and lower lip across cheek to edge of operculum ending with a yellow patch immediately above pectoral fin base. Upper 
lip edged in pale pink. Chin salmon pink with transverse blue-green band. Dorsal fin orange with green base and broad blue margin. Anal fin blue with pale 
orange band basally. Pectoral fins with blue upper border, purple middle zone and the lower part blue. Pelvic fins pink with blue margin. Caudal fin blue 
with a band of orange in each lobe.
 

Size:

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 37 cm TL (Terminal phase)
 

Habitat and Ecology:

Inhabits sheltered, reef associated environments such as lagoons and areas with dense coral cover (depth 1-25 m). Solitary or in small schools. Grazes 
algae in coral reefs. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding.
 

Fishery Status:

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the trap fishery, but is an uncommon to rare component of the catch.
 

Notes:

 

 

References:

Choat, J.H. et al. (2012). Scarus scaber. The IUCN Red List 2012: http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T190700A17790871.en. (01/04/19).
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2019). FishBase. https://www.fishbase.de/summary/7913 (01/04/19).
Heemstra P & Heemstra, E. (2004). Coastal Fishes of Southern Africa. NISC SAIAB. ISBN: 1-920033-01-7.
Randall, J.E. & Bruce, R.W. (1983). The Parrotfishes of the Subfamily Scarinae of the Western Indian Ocean with Descriptions of Three New species. 
Ichthyological Bulletin of the J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology. Number 47 March1983 ISSN: 0073-4381
 

Citation:

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Scarus scaber, Fivesaddle parrotfish. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/scarus-scaber-valenciennes-1840/ (edited 22/08/22).