Calotomus carolinus

Carolines parrotfish
Calotomus carolinus male specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciforms
Family: Labridae
Genus: Calotomus
Species: C. carolinus
Binomial name
Calotomus carolinus
Valenciennes, 1840
Synonyms
  • Callyodon brachysoma (Bleeker, 1861)
  • Callyodon carolinus (Valenciennes, 1840)
  • Callyodon genistriatus (Valenciennes, 1840)
  • Callyodon sandwicensis (Valenciennes, 1840)
  • Calotomus irradians (Jenkins, 1901)
  • Calotomus snyderi (Jenkins, 1903)
  • Calotomus xenodon (Gilbert, 1890)
  • Cryptotomus albimarginatus (Fourmanoir & Guézé, 1961)
  • Scarichthys rarotongae (Seale, 1906)

Calotomus carolinus, commonly known as Carolines parrotfish, is a species of parrotfish. It is also known as the starry-eye parrotfish or stareye parrotfish.[1]

Description

Female specimen

The species is about 50 centimetres (20 in) long. The species changes its appearance greatly during the transition to adulthood. Juveniles of the species are typically a mottled orangish-brown, with some pink shading. Adult males of the species are shades of blue or green, and have pink lines radiating from their eyes. Adult females are mottled brown and their eyes bulge out slightly.[2][3] Its jaws consist of pebble-like teeth fused into a beak for eating seaweed, but in juveniles the teeth are not yet fully fused and are visible on the outside of the dental plate.[3][4]

Habitat

The species is widely distributed in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.[1] It can typically be found as a single fish or in small groups, in shallow reefs or lagoons.[2][4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Calotomus carolinus (Bucktooth, Bucktooth Parrotfish, Carolines Parrotfish, Christmas Parrotfish, Stareye Parrotfish, Starry-eye Parrotfish)". Iucnredlist.org. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 Stender, Keoki (7 October 2012). "Stareye Parrotfish, Calotomus carolinus". Marine Life Photography. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  3. 1 2 Randall, John E. (2010). Shore Fishes of Hawai'i. University of Hawai'i Press. p. 152. ISBN 0824834275.
  4. 1 2 "Stareye Parrotfish (Calotomus carolinus)". What's That Fish?. Retrieved 7 February 2015.


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