Scarus rubroviolaceus Bleeker, 1847

Scarus rubroviolaceus Bleeker, 1847: 162; no types known; Java, Indonesia.

Ember Parrotfish

Figure 11

Material examined: Underwater photographs.

Distinctive characters: Body depth 2.8–3.1 in SL; dorsal profile of head nearly vertical to level of eye, then curving sharply and continuing nearly straight to the dorsal-fin origin in both phases; posterior nostril subequal to anterior nostril; teeth fully fused to form dental plates, one-half to two-thirds covered by lips; cutting edge of upper dental plate smooth, of lower plate only slightly irregular; upper dental plate with 1–3 conical teeth posteriorly in terminal males, a single tooth in initial phase; caudal fin lunate with prolonged lobes in terminal males. Meristic values: Pectoral-fin rays 15; median predorsal scales 5–7; cheek with 3 scale rows, lower row with 1–3 scales.

Colouration: Initial phase light reddish brown, shading to light red ventrally, with numerous small stellate black spots and short dashes, and two rows of faint white spots on posterior half of body. Terminal males green dorsally, the base of scales narrowly salmon pink, with greenish yellow hue on side of body; head greenish except for blue forehead and green interorbital; chin with two green bands, the first extending onto cheek and another short oblique one on the side; caudal fin salmon pink, with broad blue upper and lower margins.

Distribution: The most wide-ranging of the parrotfishes, occurs along eastern Africa south to South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal), Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands, east to the Hawaiian Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago, and tropical eastern Pacific. Known in the Arabian region from the southern Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Socotra Archipelago, to southern and central Oman, and Gulf of Oman (Randall 1994, 1995; Lips et al. 2016).

Remarks: Observed individuals match the description of Scarus rubroviolaceus (Randall & Bruce 1983; Randall 1995), supporting the record of Zajonz et al. (2019). Observed on Socotra Archipelago usually in rocky seaward habitats at depths of 3– 18 m. One of the common species, seen in all islands of the Archipelago.