Scarus frenatus Lacepede 1802

Scarus frenatus Lacépède, 1802

Scarus frenatus Lacépède, 1802: 3; no types known; type locality: Indo-Pacific region.

Bridled Parrotfish

Figure 7

Material examined: Underwater photographs.

Distinctive characters: Body depth 2.3–2.9 in SL; dorsal profile of head of terminal males slightly concave on forehead; posterior nostril subequal to anterior nostril; teeth fully fused to form dental plates, about three-fourths covered by lips; cutting edge of dental plates nearly smooth; upper dental plate with 0–2 conical teeth posteriorly in both phases; caudal fin double emarginate in terminal males. Meristic values: Pectoral-fin rays 14; median predorsal scales 6–7, fourth or fifth scale largest; cheek with 3 scale rows, lower row with 2–4 scales.

Colouration: Initial phase yellowish gray, paler on abdomen, with six dark brown stripes; caudal fin dark gray, remaining fins reddish. Terminal males green, the scales with small lavender-pink spots, posterior part of body abruptly bright green; head with a broad green stripe below eye bifurcating at corner of mouth to snout and chin, head below stripe with green vermiculations; caudal fin green, with orange-pink or magenta crescent.

Distribution: Red Sea south to Mozambique, Madagascar, and the Mascarene Islands, east to French Polynesia. Known from the entire Arabian region, including the eastern Gulf of Aden and Socotra, to the Arabian /Persian Gulf (Randall & Bruce 1983; Randall 1995; Golani & Bogorodsky 2010); but records from the Gulf of Oman and Arabian /Persian Gulf require verification.

Remarks: Observed individuals match the description of Scarus frenatus (Randall & Bruce 1983; Randall 1995), supporting the record of Zajonz et al. (2019). Observed only on Socotra Island in coral-dominated habitats of the north-eastern coast at depths of 2– 8 m. Based on monitoring data it is a rare species (Zajonz et al., unpublished).