ember parrotfish
Scarus rubroviolaceus
Parrotfish of eastern Pacific reefs, with males in two sharply marked colors. It is commercially caught and only occasionally takes a line.
Also called: peixe-papagaio-violáceo, loro violáceo, loro bicolor, ember parrotfish
- maximum
- 70 cm
- depth
- 1–36 m
who is the ember parrotfish
The violet parrotfish belongs to the family Labridae and reaches 70 cm. It lives alone or in pairs on reefs exposed to the sea, on stone or coral bottoms, from 1 to 36 m. On slopes with boulders, at the base of cliffs of high islands, it may form large schools. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to the Galápagos, and also in the Indo-Pacific. It eats algae from the bottom and is protogynous: born female, it can change into a male. Males have two colors, brown to dark green on the head and front of the body, and lighter green toward the rear. It is an uncommon species, commercially caught and used in aquariums.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the ember parrotfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The change of sex, from female to male, occurs at about 37 cm and 13 years of age.
identification
Parrotfish with males in two sharply separated colors: the head and front of the body are dark, and the rear is lighter. The female is reddish to grayish, with small black spots and irregular dark lines on the body. Older males have the tail with elongated lobes, which helps identify them.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to the Galápagos, on reefs and slopes, and also in the Indo-Pacific.
Habitat: Rocky or coral reefs and slopes, 1 to 36 m, sometimes in pairs.
rules for the ember parrotfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Harmless to anglers. As a large reef fish, hold it with both hands and release it carefully to avoid injuring its body.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01479, b = 3.05; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Scarus rubroviolaceus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Scarus rubroviolaceusNames by country and language.
