Thalassoma purpureum
Parrotfish
(Forsskål, 1775)Accepted name in the World Register of Marine Species.WoRMS 212213 ↗
Photo: (c) lizzydem, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) (iNaturalist)
76
Bishop specimens
2
Type specimens
1900
First collected
1996
Last collected
2026
Last seen alive in Hawaiʻi
In the Library
Bishop Museum publications whose pages name Thalassoma purpureum, most mentions first.
2010
Marine biota information base for offshore islets in the main Hawaiian IslandsColes, S.L. & Swenson, C. · Contribution to the Hawaii Biological Survey · 3 pages
2008
Assessment of species composition, diversity and biomass in marine habitats and subhaqbitats around offshore islets in the main Hawaiian IslandsColes, S.L., Giuseffi, L. & Hutchinson, M. · Contribution to the Hawaii Biological Survey · 1 page
2004
Assessment of nonindigenous species on coral reefs in the Hawaiian Islands, with emphasis on introduced invertebratesColes, S.L., L.G. Eldredge, F. Kandel, P.R. Reath & K. Longenecker · Contribution to the Hawaii Biological Survey · 1 page
2004
Prototype of a virtual comparative fish osteological collection and identification guideLongenecker, K. · Contribution to the Hawaii Biological Survey · 1 page
2002
Nonindigenous marine species in Kane‘ohe Bay, O‘ahu, Hawai‘iColes, S.L., R.C. DeFelice & L.G. Eldredge · Contribution to the Hawaii Biological Survey · 1 page
2001
Marine species survey of Johnston Atoll, central Pacific Ocean, June 2000Coles, S.L., R.C. DeFelice & D. Minton · Contribution to the Hawaii Biological Survey · 1 page
1999
Nonindigenous marine species introductions in the harbors of the south and west shores of Oahu, HawaiiColes, S.L., R.C. DeFelice, & L.G. Eldredge · Contribution to the Hawaii Biological Survey · 1 page
Two centuries of collecting
The oldest Bishop specimen was collected in 1900 by A. Seale (Guam). The Museum last collected it in 1996; iNaturalist observers have seen it in the wild as recently as October 19, 2026.
Alive today
177 research-grade iNaturalist sightings in the wild in Hawaiʻi since 2000. Most recent first.
2026-10-19
North Pacific Ocean, Pūpūkea, HI, US
(c) thegeckoguy907, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
2026-10-16
North Shore, Waialua, HI, USA
(c) Sam Buswell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
2026-10-14
Lāwaʻi Rd, Poʻipū, HI, US
(c) Logan Olton, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
2026-10-02
Hanauma Bay, Honolulu, HI 96825, USA
(c) argentinosaurus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
2026-09-14
Honolua Bay, HI, US
(c) Dutza K., some rights reserved (CC BY)
2026-08-28
Kauai County, US-HI, US
(c) annarcustodio, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
2026-08-15
HI, US
(c) Dillon Freiburger, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
2026-08-11
East Honolulu, HI, US
(c) dude_mala, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)