Species · GBIF taxon 2393734
Princess Parrotfish
Scarus taeniopterusAlso known as Painted-tail Parrotfish
Princess parrotfish are vibrant reef residents that undergo dramatic color changes as they mature, transitioning from striped juveniles to brilliant blue-green terminal phase males. During the day, they scrape algae from coral skeletons using their fused, beak-like teeth, playing a vital role in preventing algae from smothering the reef. At night, they spin a protective mucus cocoon to mask their scent from predators while they sleep in reef crevices.
Reef DwellerColorfulDiurnal
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Turf Algae
- Sponge Spicules
- Coral Polyps
Predators
- Reef Sharks
- Groupers
- Moray Eels
ThreatsHabitat degradation, coral bleaching, and overfishing
HabitatsCoral reefs, shallow rocky areas, and sandy patches
Life span5 to 8 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyScaridae
- SpeciesScarus taeniopterus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Listen closely: You can often hear their distinct crunching sounds underwater as they scrape algae off the coral.
- Keep your distance: Approach slowly while snorkeling to avoid startling them into swimming away.
- Look for sand: Watch behind them to see them excrete fine white sand, a direct byproduct of their feeding.
Reef Companion Adona9 at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Predator (c) Robin White, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Robin White · cc-by
Close Relative "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
Image unavailableClose Relative
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