Princess Parrotfish
Scarus taeniopterus
Also known as: Blue Chub, Painted-tail Parrotfish, Sammy Johnson, Snotty Parrot, Snotty Parrotfish
- Blue Chub
- Painted-tail Parrotfish
- Sammy Johnson
- Snotty Parrot
- Snotty Parrotfish
Showing details for the adult stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.
Overview
Found in large schools, foraging for food, over coral and rocky bottoms of reefs, rich in seagrass growth.
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.
How to identify
Habitat & where to find it
Where the adult stage lives, and where its photos were taken.
- Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
- Exact location · 1
- Country only · 20
Found in large schools, foraging for food, over coral and rocky bottoms of reefs, rich in seagrass growth.
Adult photos 21
Discussion
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Deep dive
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