Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, IX+9; A, III+9; P,15-16; V, I+3; LL, 22-24  photo : David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body oblong. Continuous dorsal fin originating above pectoral fin. Caudal fin varying from small in female to lunate and large in male. Round snout with terminal mouth and beak-like teeth; teeth in both jaws fused to form dental plates with a median suture. Lip covers more than half of the dental plates. Large scales. Three rows of scales on cheek. color : great variety of colors during different life stages, from bluish in center of scales surrounded by light orange or beige in young to bright green dorsally on salmon pink background in males; occasionally red highlights or blackish-blue bars on body. Green stripes surround mouth. size : 10-50 cm (max. 75 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Sparisoma cretense: red to gray coloring, green absent; single row of scales on cheek. Labridae: Teeth not fused. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Herbivorous, scraping algae from surface of rocks. Protogyny hermaphrodite. Eggs and larvae planktonic. habitat : rocky substrate in shallow waters.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD 2001, Israel. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Indo-Pacific. Mediterranean : Israel (Goren and Aronov, 2002). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Rare. In the last two years, more specimens were observed and collected in the same area (near Haifa bay). speculated reasons for success : - MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Barich M. and Saad M., 2005. Settlement of the Lessepsian blue-barred parrotfish Scarus ghobban (Teleostei: Scaridae) in the eastern Mediterranean. JMBA2- Biodiversity Records Published online, http://www.mba.ac.uk/jmba/pdf/5049.pdf Golani D. and Levy Y., 2005. New records and rare occurrences of fish species from the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Zoology in the Middle East, 36: 27-32. Goren M. and A. Aronov, 2002. First record of the Indo-Pacific parrotfish Scarus ghobban Forsskål, 1775, in the eastern Mediterranean. Cybium, 27(3): 239-240.   Randall J.E., 1983. Red Sea Reef Fishes. London: IMMEL Publishing. 192 p. Randall J.E., 1986. Scaridae. In: Smith M.M. and P.C. Heemstra (eds.). Smiths' Sea Fishes. Johannesburg: Macmillan South Africa. Pp. 706-714. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: 2005 ©ciesm 2002