Calotomus carolinus (Valenciennes, 1840)

Callyodon carolinus Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840b: 291; holotype: MNHN 0000-0560; type locality: Caroline Islands.

Stareye Parrotfish

Figure 15

Material examined: Underwater photograph.

Distinctive characters: Body depth 2.3–3.0 in SL; dorsal profile of head slightly convex; teeth not fully fused to form dental plates; caudal fin truncate with slightly prolonged lobes in terminal males. Meristic values: Pectoral-fin rays 13; median predorsal scales 4; cheek with 1 scale row, with 4–5 scales.

Colouration: Initial phase mottled grayish to reddish brown with fine whitish markings on scales; chest and operculum with 3 to 4 rows of white spots. Terminal males dull blue-green to olive-green with about 8 salmon-pink bands radiating from eye, and transverse bands on snout and chin. Both phases with caudal fin with a narrow whitish posterior margin and first membrane of dorsal fin with a dark blotch or streak.

Distribution: South-eastern Arabia south to South Africa, Madagascar, east to the Hawaiian and Pitcairn Islands; also reported from the tropical eastern Pacific. In the Arabian region known only from the Socotra Archipelago and southern Oman (Randall 1995).

Remarks: Observed individual matches the description of Calotomus carolinus (Bruce & Randall 1985; Randall 1995), supporting the tentative record of Zajonz et al. (2019). Observed at the southern coast of Socotra Island in sand areas among bedrock terraces with moderate algae growth at depths of 8– 12 m. Calotomus viridescens (Rüppell, 1835) is a very similar species known from the Red Sea but differs in the presence of small black spots on postorbital head and anterior body.