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Illustration of Blue-barred parrotfish
fishing forecast

blue-barred parrotfish

Scarus ghobban · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the blue-barred parrotfish

how to recognize it

The adult male has a dark reddish-brown front, with a bright green spot on top of the line running from mouth to eye, up to the top of the operculum. The female is red on the head, belly and fins, with wavy black and white stripes on the flanks and dark green bands around the mouth and eyes. In large fish the tail fin has elongated lobes; in small ones it is rounded.

Also called: peixe-papagaio-de-queixo-azul, loro barbazul, loro, bluechin parrotfish

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Shallow reefs and lagoons, with reef edges and slopes, from 1 to 90 m.

Occurs in the Indo-Pacific and the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Ecuador, on reefs and lagoons.

rules for the blue-barred parrotfish

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.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01445, b = 3.04; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

more about the blue-barred parrotfish

The bluechin parrotfish belongs to the family Labridae, the wrasses, which includes the parrotfishes. It reaches 75 cm, and its common size is 30 cm. It lives on reefs and lagoons, at reef edges and slopes, from 1 to 90 m deep. It occurs in the Indo-Pacific and in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Ecuador. It scrapes algae from rocks and corals, and generally lives alone or in small groups. Males are common on the inner and outer edges of barrier reefs. Commercial fishing catches it with nets and other artisanal gear.

Family: Labridae · omnivore

fun facts

  • It is a protogynous hermaphrodite: born female, it can change into a male on reaching 29 cm and at 7 years of age.

in the kitchen

Sold fresh and also alive, in fish markets.

sources and references (2)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Scarus ghobban (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Scarus ghobbanNames by country and language.