Greensnout Parrotfish

Scarus spinus

The Greensnout Parrotfish is a marine ray-finned fish from the family Labridae, reaching up to 30 cm in length. Males are easily identifiable underwater by their bright yellow heads, while females are more subdued in color, featuring drab tones with white teeth and pale spots. The fish's body is elongated and compressed, with large scales and a caudal fin that is moderately to deeply emarginate in terminal phase. It lacks canines on the upper dental plate during the initial phase but develops 1-2 canines on both upper and lower plates in the terminal phase. This species inhabits coral-rich areas of outer lagoons and seaward reefs, primarily in the Pacific Ocean. Its range extends from Christmas Island and the Philippines to Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands, and south to the southern Great Barrier Reef. The Greensnout Parrotfish is typically found at depths ranging from 0 to 30 meters, though it is usually seen between 2 and 15 meters. The Greensnout Parrotfish primarily feeds on crustose coralline algae, using its specialized jaw to scrape the algae from surfaces. It is an oviparous species, displaying distinct pairing during breeding. The fish is usually solitary, although females may form small groups with a male nearby, sometimes mixing with females of similar species. The IUCN lists this species as Least Concern, but it is considered uncommon and patchily distributed throughout its range.