Blue Barred Parrotfish

Blue Barred Parrotfish (Scarus ghobban)

Blue Barred Parrotfish, commonly found throughout the Indo-Pacific, ranges from East Africa to Indonesia. This species is also present in the Galápagos Islands, Japan, and extends south to Australia and east to French Polynesia. Notably, it was recorded for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel in 2001, having entered through the Suez Canal, and it is currently expanding northward in the Levantine waters, although it remains rare.

Like other reef fish with a pelagic larval phase, regional currents promote significant gene flow, contributing to high genetic diversity within the species. Blue Barred Parrotfish inhabits areas with sandy bottoms and seagrass and is also found in marginal reefs and deeper waters.

This species grows rapidly and can live for up to 13 years. It typically forms small schools. Notably, Blue Barred Parrotfish possesses a highly mobile mandible bone that allows it to scrape surfaces and aid in the hydrological transport of fine sediments. The reproduction process involves the female laying eggs into the water current. The fertilized eggs hatch approximately 25 hours later. After hatching, the parrotfish mature quickly and do not require prolonged proximity to their parents.