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Scarus festivus (Valenciennes 1840)
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Scarus festivus (Valenciennes 1840)
  • Photo. (c) 2019 John Nevill.
  • Photo. (c) 2019 John Nevill.
  • Photo. (c) 2019 John Nevill.
Genus: , ,

Scientific Name: Scarus festivus

English Name: Festive parrotfish

Creole Name:

French Name: Perroquet tête

IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC)



Information

Description:

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

Medium-sized parrotfish with rounded head. Lips cover more than half of dental plates. White dental plates. Marked convexity in dorsal profile of head 
most pronounced on large males. Caudal fin emarginate to lunate.

This species exhibits no obvious difference between the colour of the sexes. Males develop a distinctive lump on the forehead. Body green, the edges of 
scales orange. Some specimens with a large pale yellow area on caudal peduncle. Snout and dorsal part of head greenish to violet. Adults identified by 
lines radiating from eyes, two of which run over the top of the head, the more posterior line is broadest. Edge of lower lip blue green; chin salmon, 
crossed by a blue green band.

A blue green band sub-marginally on operculum; a short blue green band extending posteriorly from near centre edge of orbit; Iris orange. Dorsal and 
anal fins light orange basally, then a broadband of blue green, the distal margin of which is wavy; outer part of these fins light orange with the blue 
edge. Caudal fin dull orange with a blue green crescent in middle of fin. Pectoral fins blue green dorsally with a broad longitudinal band of orange to 
violet in middle of fin, the lower part of fin with blue green rays and pale membranes.


Size:

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 45 cm TL.


Habitat and Ecology:

Uncommon. Found in clear lagoon and seaward reefs on the outer slope (depth 1-30 m). Feeds on benthic algae and occasionally on coral. Oviparous, 
distinct pairing during breeding.


Fishery Status:

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the fish trap fishery, but is apparently a very rare component of the catch


Notes:

This species appears to be relatively uncommon to rare throughout its range. Randall, in Randall & Bruce 1983, recorded the species as rare in the 
Seychelles. In 10 years of monitoring the artisanal catch the photographed specimen (above) is the only one recorded by the author. 
 


References:

Allen, G. & Gon, O. (2012). Scarus festivus. The IUCN Red List 2012: http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T154677A17895868.en. (19/03/19).
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2019). FishBase. https://www.fishbase.de/summary/5544 (19/03/19).
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
Smith, M. & Heemstra, P.  (Eds.) (1999). Smiths’ Sea Fishes Edition 6. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 10.1007/978-3-642-82858-4


Citation:

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Scarus festivus, Festive parrotfish. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/scarus-festivus-valenciennes-1840/ (updated 16/08/22). 


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