The rusty parrotfish (Scarus ferrugineus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish belonging to the family Scaridae. It is associated with reefs in the north western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. This reef-associated species can be found on coral reefs at a depth of 1 – 60 m in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Persian Gulf where it is found off the coasts of Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Yemen, Israel, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Sudan, as well as off Socotra. It is generally common. Scarus ferrugineus measures up to 41 cm (16 in) in length. Two colour patterns may be distinguished. While the terminal phase is multicoloured, bright in colour, mostly blue-green, the initial phase, in which frequently these fishes are seen in groups, is brownish (hence the common name) with light and dark bands and a yellow tail.
