[Genus Scarus of family Scaridae]
Parrotfish are a fairly large family of at least 10 genera, found in reef environments in the Indo-Pacific region and also the Caribbean region. They are of critical importance to the reef environment, because they clean the coral of algae and sponges on both the sea side and the land side. Only a few species are fished commercially.
Identification of parrotfish species is very difficult. They change face and tail shape with maturity, and change from dull colored female to bright colored male at a particular length. Their colors and patterns seem to be whatever the individual fish wants. For instance, the Red Parrotfish is seen in all bright red, but also in all blue. Patterns a fish is named for may not be seen in all individuals. My identifications below are the best I could do, and I think they are pretty good, but don't depend on them absoltely. Fortunately, it makes little difference as far as eating them is concerned.
More on Varieties of Fish
(very large page).
[Mol-mol, Mul-mul (Philippines); Scarus forsteni]
This fish is native to the Western Pacific, around the Philippines,
Indonesia, northern Australia, and as far east as the Pitcairn Island
group. It can grow to almost 22 inches and 5-1/2 pounds, but the
photo specimen was 12-3/4 inches long and weighed 1.1 pounds.
It is fished commercially in the region, and is IUCN Red Listed
LC (Least Concern).
Details and Cooking.
[Mol-mol, Mul-mu, Loro, Luro (Philippines); Scarus ghobban]
The name "Blue-barred" is a bit deceptive, because only very young
fish have the three blue bars. This fish ranges throughout the
Red Sea and Indian Ocean, down to South Africa, and also in the
Pacific as far north as southern Japan, all through Indonesia and
as far east as the Gulf of California, and down to Ecuador.
It can grow to almost 36 inches, but the photo specimen was 18-1/4
inches long and weighed 3.33 pounds. This Parrotfish is fished
commercially in various regions, and is IUCN Red Listed LC (Least
Concern).
Details and Cooking.
[Scarus prasiognathos]
These Indo-West Pacific fish are found in reef environments, mainly
in the West Pacific, but some are found as far west as the Maldives.
They are not usually all blue like the photo specimen. They range as
far north as the Ryukyu Islands, as far south as the northern tip of
Australia, and all through Indonesia and around Papua New Guinea.
They can grow to almost 28 inches, but the photo specimen was 14-1/8
inches long and weighed 1 pound 13-3/8 ounces. This Parrotfish is
fished commercially, and is IUCN Red Listed LC (Least Concern).
Details and Cooking.
[Scarus rubroviolaceus]
These Indo-Pacific fish have a very wide range, found in reef and
rocky environments from Durban, South Africa to the Ryukyu islands
of Japan, the Hawaiian Islands, the Gulf of California and the
Galapagos Islands. They range as far south as the northern coast of
Australia. They can grow to almost 28 inches, but the photo specimen
was 20-1/4 inches long and weighed 2 pounds 15-3/4 ounces. They change
from female to male at 14-3/4 inches long and develop a bulbous nose
and often a deeply lunate tail. Color schemes and patterns can vary
radically. This Parrotfish is fished commercially, and is IUCN Red
Listed LC (Least Concern).
Details and Cooking.
[Scarus rivulatus]
These West-Pacific fish are found in reef environments from
Sri Lanka to New Caledonia and Tonga, north to the Ryukyu Islands,
Japan, and south to New South Wales, Australia. These fish can grow to
about 18 inches (TL), but the photo specimen was 13-5/8 inches long
and weighed 1 pound 8-1/4 ounces. Color schemes and patterns can vary
radically. Young female fish are gray, but when they get larger and
turn male they get a color scheme something like in the photo. The
other fish packaged with this one was nearly black. This Parrotfish
is fished commercially, and is IUCN Red Listed LC (Least Concern).
Details and Cooking.