Rusty parrotfish

Appearance

"Scarus ferrugineus" measures up to 41 cm in length. Two colour patterns may be distinguished. While the terminal phase is multicoloured, bright in colour, mostly blue-green, the initial phase, in which frequently these fishes are seen in groups, is brownish with light and dark bands and a yellow tail.

Naming

The rusty parrotfish was first formally described as "Scarus ferrugineus" in 1775 by the Swedish naturalist, explorer and orientalist Peter Forsskål with the type locality given as Dahab on the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba off the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

Distribution

This reef-associated species can be found on coral reefs at a depth of 1 – 60 m in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Persian Gulf where it is found off the coastst of Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Yemen, Israel, Jordania, Iran, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Sudan), as well as off Socotra. It is generally common.

Behavior

These fishes can be seen from March to November. They are oviparous and protogynous hermaphrodites.

Three life phases can be distinguished, the juveniles, the adults of the initial phase, and the adult males on the terminal phase.

Individuals in the terminal phase form harems. They feed mainly on benthic algae.

Habitat

This reef-associated species can be found on coral reefs at a depth of 1 – 60 m in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Persian Gulf where it is found off the coastst of Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Yemen, Israel, Jordania, Iran, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Sudan), as well as off Socotra. It is generally common.