Scarus globiceps Valenciennes, 1840

Common Names and Taxonomic Classification

Scarus globiceps, commonly called the globehead, violet-lined, speckled, or roundhead parrotfish, is a species of marine fish that inhabits coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Initial Description

It was first described in 1840 by French naturalist Achille Valenciennes.

Charles Darwin Specimen Collection

This species was the first parrotfish collected by Charles Darwin; he gathered specimens from waters around Tahiti and the Cocos Islands.

Early Taxonomic Synonymy History

Leonard Jenyns described the Tahitian specimen as a new, separate species named Scarus lepidus, while the Cocos Islands specimen was confirmed to be Scarus globiceps.

Later Taxonomic Synonymy

In 1900, Henry Weed Fowler described a specimen from Caroline Island as Scarus pronus, a name that was later synonymised with Scarus globiceps.

Size and Weight

The globehead parrotfish can reach a maximum length of 45 cm (18 in) and a maximum weight of 0.5 kg (1.1 lb).

Terminal Male Body Coloration

Terminal-phase adult males have a mostly green body, with salmon-pink borders on each scale.

Terminal Male Tail Fin Morphology

Their tail fin is green with salmon-pink bands.

Terminal Male Head Markings

A horizontal pink band bordered in green runs from the snout, through the eyes, to the end of the opercle.

Terminal Male Dentition

They have 1 or 2 canine teeth on both the upper and lower tooth plates.

Initial Phase Coloration

Initial-phase individuals are grey-brown, with three white bands on their abdomens.

Species Distribution Range

The species' range extends from the Society and Line Islands in the Pacific westward; it reaches as far north as the Ryukyu Islands, as far south as the Great Barrier Reef, and stretches across the Indian Ocean to east Africa.

Habitat Preferences

It is most common on outer reefs, but can also be found in lagoons.

Depth Range

It typically occurs at depths around 12 metres (39 ft), and can occasionally be found as deep as 30 metres (98 ft).

Human Use

Scarus globiceps is harvested as a food fish in Guam.