Parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense)

Scientific name: Sparisoma cretense Linnaeus, 1758

Parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense)

The Parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense) is a marine fish of the family Scaridae. Native range: Eastern Atlantic, Portugal, Azores and Madeira south to the Canary Islands and Senegal. Mediterranean Sea: more common in the eastern and southern coasts.

Biology

In shallow water along rocky shores. Feed on algae and small invertebrates. Herbivore species with specialized pharyngeal bones and muscles. Breeding occurs from July to September, with juveniles recruiting in late summer in Portugal.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Sparisoma cretense
Family
Scaridae (Parrotfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
50.0
Common length
30.0
Depth range
20–50 m (66–164 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 20 - 50 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Portugal, Azores and Madeira south to the Canary Islands and Senegal. Mediterranean Sea: more common in the eastern and southern coasts.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.16; tmax=8)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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