Scarus ghobban
Scarus ghobban, also known as the blue-barred parrotfish, blue trim parrotfish, cream parrotfish, globe-headed parrotfish, green blotched parrotfish, yellow scale parrotfish, and bluechin parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the family Scaridae. Description. This species is blue-green to green in colour and commonly grows to approximately 46 cm. Its appearance is variable. It may have a central stripe on the dorsal and anal fins that is pink in colour. The underside of the body may be pinkish or yellowish. There may be blue markings around the area of the pectoral fin . Distribution. "Scarus ghobban" is widespread throughout the Indo-Pacific, known to live in waters from East Africa to Indonesia. It has also been found in the Mediterranean, likely having entered by way of the Red Sea as a Lessepsian migrant. It also occurs at the Galápagos Islands as well as Japan, south to Australia and east to French Polynesia. In 2004, the species was reported from Beirut, Lebanon. Like other reef fish with a pelagic larval phase, regional currents facilitate high levels of gene flow, which in turn create high genetic diversity among the species. Habitat. "Scarus Ghobban" occurs in  places with sandy bottoms and in areas with seagrass. It is also known to live in marginal reefs and in deeper waters. Ecology. "Scarus ghobban" grows quickly and can live up to 13 years. It tends to congregate in small schools. Scarus ghobban can rotate their mandible bone at a high velocity; this allows them to function as a scraper and facilitate hydrological transport of fine sediments. Threats. While the species is captured in large numbers by fishermen for consumption and sale, and there is also a high amount of bycatch from other fisheries, it is not particularly targeted and  appears not to be threatened at this point. As other parrotfish, it is dependent on coral reefs to some degree, and is likely to suffer from the continued degradation of same.