Scarus zufar Randall & Hoover, 1995

Scarus zufar Randall & Hoover, 1995: 684; holotype: BPBM 36056; type locality: southern Oman.

Dhofar Parrotfish

Figure 14

Material examined: Underwater photographs.

Distinctive characters: Body depth 2.5–2.7 in SL; dorsal profile of head convex; posterior nostril twice as large as anterior nostril; teeth fully fused to form dental plates, upper dental plate about three-fourths covered by lips; cutting edge of dental plates nearly smooth; no teeth posteriorly on upper dental plate; caudal fin truncate with slightly prolonged lobes in terminal males. Meristic values: Pectoral-fin rays 15; median predorsal scales 4, first largest; cheek with 2 scale rows, lower row with 4 scales.

Colouration: Body of initial phase orange anteriorly, scales with green arc, the green becoming progressively broader posteriorly. Terminal males green, the scale edges pink, posterior part of body usually with a greenish or green-yellow area; area beneath pectoral fins and abdomen pinkish or salmon pink; caudal fin with three blue bars. Both phases with pale orange operculum; upper lip, snout and chin green with extended irregular stripe to cheek at lower edge of eye; a short green stripe extending from posterior edge of eye; and pectoral fins orange with yellow axil.

Distribution: Restricted to the northern part of the Indian Ocean, previously believed to constitute a “centre of endemism” in southern Oman (Randall & Hoover 1995; Randall 1995). Its range subsequently extended east to Pakistan (Psomadakis et al. 2015) and Bangladesh (Hasan & Parvej 2020), and south-west to the Socotra Archipelago (present study).

Remarks: Observed individuals match the description of Scarus zufar provided by Randall & Hoover (1995); previously not recorded on Socotra Archipelago (Zajonz et al. 2019). The new record is based on underwater photographs taken in several localities at depths of 7–14 m from the south-western to the eastern part of Socotra Island; yet abundances were low. Subsequently, the species was observed in a mixed rocky and coral habitat with wave action at Abd al-Kuri Island, thus marking its westernmost range edge. It is unique in contrast to other species in that its initial phase and terminal males exhibit minor sexual dimorphism.