Tri-colour parrotfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tri-colour parrotfish |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Labriformes |
| Family: | Scaridae |
| Genus: | Scarus |
| Species: |
S. tricolor
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| Binomial name | |
| Scarus tricolor Bleeker, 1847
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The tri-colour parrotfish (scientific name: Scarus tricolor) is a beautiful fish. It's a type of parrotfish, known for its bright colors. You can find this fish in many parts of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. It belongs to the family Scaridae.
What Does It Look Like?
The tri-colour parrotfish is usually greenish. It often has hints of pink or yellow near its tail. Its tail fin also has a purplish band near the edges.
Female tri-colour parrotfish look a bit different. They are dark grey, sometimes almost black. Their lower sides can be blue or bluish-green. Their scales have black edges. Females also have a red tail fin, an orange anal fin, and yellowish-orange pelvic fins.
Male tri-colour parrotfish in their final stage look similar to another fish, Scarus forsteni. A key difference is that the tri-colour parrotfish has a yellow spot inside its pectoral fin.
Where Does It Live?
The tri-colour parrotfish lives in a large area of the ocean. You can find it in the Indian Ocean, from East Africa all the way to South Africa. It also lives around Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean.
Moving further east, it's found in the western Pacific Ocean. Its range extends as far as French Polynesia and Pitcairn. While it shares some areas with S. forsteni in the Philippines, S. forsteni is more common in the western Pacific.
Habitat and Life
You usually find tri-colour parrotfish swimming alone. Sometimes, they are seen in small groups. They prefer areas with lots of coral growth. These fish often live on reefs facing the open sea. They can also be found inside calm lagoons.
They live in waters up to about 30 meters (100 feet) deep. The tri-colour parrotfish eats algae that grows on the ocean floor. These fish lay eggs to reproduce. They form pairs when it's time to lay their eggs.
