Name: Gulf Parrotfish
Local name: Gean
Scientific name: Scarus persicus
Classification: Class: ray-finned fishes; Order: perch -likes; Family: Scaridae
Size: It commonly attains 48 cm in total length, with a maximum length of 56 cm.
Habitat:
This species occurs in coral areas at depths between 1 m and 25 m. With its strong beak-like dental plates it scrapes algae and associated organisms biting into the limestone of the reef and grinding the coral rock fragments to sand. It is oviparous, with distinct pairing during breeding.
Distribution:
This species is only known from the Arabian Gulf and the southern coast of Oman.
Conservation status:
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies the Gulf Parrotfish as Least Concern (LC) in its global assessment, but Vulnerable (VU) in the regional assessment for the Arabian Gulf. It is caught by traps (gargoor) and small-scale net gear.
Description:
The Gulf Parrotfish is a moderately deep-bodied, moderately depressed species with a terminal mouth. Its teeth are fused into a parrot-like beak. The caudal fin of the initial phase is rounded, while it is emarginate in terminal males. The body of the initial phase is grey; scale edges are yellowish brown, grading ventrally to light red; the head is yellowish grey and the lips are pink; the margins of the dorsal and anal fins and the upper and lower edges of the caudal fin are blue. Terminal males are pink with irregular green markings on the scales of the body, and there is narrow dark bar in the middle of the body. Juveniles are greyish brown with four white stripes extending from the head to the caudal peduncle.
