Scarus niger

Swarthy Parrotfish
Scarus niger
Scarus niger, female, Red Sea, Egypt, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Scarus niger
Scarus niger, male, Bali, Indonesia, Photo: Ian Shaw
Scarus niger
Scarus niger, juvenile, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Scarus niger
Scarus niger, juvenile, Red Sea, Egypt, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Scarus niger
Scarus niger, Coral Sea, Australia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Scarus niger
Scarus niger, juvenile, QLD, Australia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Scarus niger
Scarus niger, Seychelles, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
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Scarus niger
Scarus niger
Scarus niger
Scarus niger
Scarus niger
Scarus niger
Scarus niger

Distribution

Tropical Indo-Pacific


Description

All life stages distinct. Juveniles with pair of black spots on white tail base. Adults with blue-margined orange dorsal fin, and green bridle around mouth running to or through the eye. Bright green spots behind eye of large male.


Information

Max Size: 40 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 22.6-31.2°C

Depth: 0-20 m

Habitat Generalization Index: 22.3

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Occurrence: Common (40.4% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Few (4 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: RD Stuart-Smith, GJ Edgar, AJ Green, IV Shaw. 2015. Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland