Fauna
Species

Queen Parrotfish

Scarus vetula

Also known as Blownose, Blue Chub, Joblin Crow Parrot, Moontail

Queen parrotfish play a vital role in cleaning Caribbean coral reefs by relentlessly scraping away choking turf algae with their fused, beak-like teeth. At night, these grazers secrete a transparent mucus cocoon that envelops their bodies to mask their scent from nocturnal predators like moray eels. Their constant digestion of limestone and dead coral rock makes them major bioeroders, producing hundreds of pounds of fine white sand each year.

Reef DwellerColor ChangingHerbivore
Queen Parrotfish reference
"queen parrotfish Scarus vetula terminal phase" by Paul and Jill is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
—observations
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—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyTurf Algae, Filamentous Algae, Coral Tissue
Predators
  • Caribbean Reef Shark
  • Great Barracuda
  • Green Moray
ThreatsCoral reef degradation, trap fishing, and marine pollution
HabitatsCoral reefs, reef crests, seaward slopes, and rocky shoals
Life span15–20 years
Classification
  1. FamilyScaridae
  2. SpeciesScarus vetula
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
  • Reef Etiquette: Keep a calm distance so feeding individuals can scrape algae undisturbed.
  • Acoustic Observation: Listen closely underwater for the distinct crunching sound of beaks scraping coral.
Related species
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