Rainbow parrotfish  (Scarus guacamaia)

Description

The rainbow parrotfish is the largest herbivorous fish in the Atlantic (3), with males growing to lengths of 1.2 metres (2). As the name suggests, they are attractively coloured fish with deep green bodies. The fins are orange with streaks of green extending outwards towards the back and tail (2). There are two forms of males; ‘initial phase’ males are drab in colour and similar in appearance to females, whereas ‘terminal phase’ males are brightly coloured (4). Parrotfish are so-called because of their unusual mouthparts. The teeth are fused to form a tough parrot-like beak which is used to scrape algae and other organic matter from the surface of coral (4).

left