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Blue Parrotfish

Blue parrotfish

Scarus coeruleus

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Fun Facts

Enjoy white sand beaches? Thank a parrotfish! When parrotfish scrape algae off of rocks and coral skeletons, they grind up bits of the reef material, and excrete it as fine, white sand!

Species Type:

Fishes

Common Name(s):

Blue parrotfish

Size:

Blue parrotfish can grow up to 2 feet long (0.61 meters).

Diet:

Parrotfish are herbivores. They feed on algae by using their parrot-like beaks to scrape the algae off of corals and other rocky substrates. They use pharygeal (throat) teeth to grind and rock they ingest into sand.

Range & Habitat:

Blue parrotfish can be found rocky and coral reefs in the Atlantic from Maryland to Florida, and throughout the Caribbean Sea. Juveniles are found in seagrass beds and mangroves.

Details:

Blue parrotfish are a larger species of parrotfish, and adults are entirely blue. As juveniles, their coloration starts out as a pale blue, and become deeper as they mature. Large male blue parrotfish have a pronounced hump on their forehead.