Description
Also known as Dark Green Parrotfish, Moontail, Parrot Chub, Redbelly.
Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food, over live corals, in clear water reefs, rich in algae growth.
They feed on filamentous algae and corals.
Juveniles found in seagrass beds.
Length - 61cm
Depth - 3-50m
Widespread Western Atlantic, Caribbean
Parrotfish are hermaphrodites and live in harems with a dominant male. They are not territorial, living and feeding in harmony with other species.
Their teeth are fused into powerful beaks which are used for grabbing filamentous algae from dead coral, often found feeding in a cloud of sediment.
At night parrotfish make a sleeping bag out of slime bubbles for protection against predators.
These beautiful fish whose males usually outshine the females for colour also change dramatically from juvenile to adult. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Sparisoma-viride.html
1 comment
Excellent capture of this late first stage specimen!