Calotomus is a parrotfish genus from the Indo-Pacific, with a single species ranging into the warmer parts of the east Pacific. Compared to most of their relatives, their colours are relatively dull. Several species in this genus are associated with sea grass beds, but most can also be seen at reefs.
Species The genus includes these extant species: +SpeciesCommon nameImageCalotomus carolinus (Valenciennes, 1840)Carolines parrotfishCalotomus japonicus (Valenciennes, 1840)Japanese parrotfishCalotomus spinidens (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)Spinytooth parrotfishCalotomus viridescens (Rüppell, 1835)Viridescent parrotfishCalotomus zonarchus (Jenkins, 1903)Yellowbar parrotfish
Fossil record The fossil species, †Calotomus preisli Bellwood & Schultz, 1991 has been recovered from middle Miocene beds from Austria, suggesting the Paratethys Sea might have been tropical.
References
Bony fish in the online Sepkoski Database