Bicolor Parrotfish (Cetoscarus Bicolor)

Species Name : Cetoscarus Bicolor

Care Level : Moderate

Temperament : Peaceful

Color : White, Orange, Black, Green, Blue

Diet : Omnivore

Reef Compatible : No

Water Conditions : sg 1.020-1.025, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4

Max. Size : 20 inches

Origin : Red Sea , Indo-Pacific

Family : Scaridae 

Minimum Tank Size : 150 gallons

Bicolor Parrotfish (Cetoscarus Bicolor), also known as the Two-Color Parrotfish or Bumphead Parrotfish, is a species of fish belonging to the family Scaridae.

The Bicolor Parrotfish has a silvery-white body when young, with an orange mask on the snout and orange tinges on the dorsal and anal fins. Its dorsal fin has a black spot. It has an unusual beaked mouth. As adults, their color will change to a blue or green, with highlights of pinks on the edge of their scales. It is among the largest parrotfishes, growing to a standard length of up to 50 cm (20 in).

Since the Bicolor Parrotfish can grow relatively large in size, it should be kept in an aquarium of at least 150 gallons. Also, the aquarium should comprise plenty of live coral or rock, and plants at the bottom of it to simulate their natural habitat. Parrotfish are also known for building mucus cocoons to protect themselves while they sleep at night, so providing plenty of live rock with naturally forming algae and live Coral is essential to help the Parrotfish adapt. 

As in other parrotfish species, males are territorial. Suitable tankmates would be larger, fairly peaceful to moderately aggressive fish like angels, tangs, triggers, groupers and similar fish. Though rare, parrotfish may prey on small fish. Crustaceans like crabs and shrimp may be eaten. Can be kept with soft corals and motile invertebrates, will eat live stony corals and bite chunks from reef rock.

Parrotfish are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning that they may begin their adult life as females but may become male over time.

The Bicolor Parrotfish  use their specialized beak like teeth to scrape the algae off of dead Coral skeletons. When the parrotfish eats the living coral, it is not actually eating the coral itself. Instead it is processing and utilizing the zooxanthellae in the tissue of the coral as food energy. Once digested, the excreted waste from this material becomes new sand in the system. Unfortunately the Parrotfish cannot determine whether a Coral is living or dead, and will scrape at it all the same. 

The reason parrotfishes often don’t survive in the aquarium has to do with their diet, their adult size and their high levels of stress, which, more often than not, leads to disease. This particular species is difficult to feed in captivity, however they can be trained to eat frozen brine shrimp. Feed a varied meaty diet of fresh, frozen and prepared foods to help wean the parrotfish onto an aquarium diet.