Species
Redband Parrotfish
Sparisoma aurofrenatumRedband parrotfish play an essential role in reef health by constantly grazing down turf algae that would otherwise smother living corals. Terminal-phase males display brilliant turquoise bodies marked by a bright yellow streak beneath the eye, while initial-phase females show mottled grey-brown patterns with pale saddles. At night, individuals wedge themselves into narrow reef crevices, occasionally producing a thin mucus envelope to conceal their scent from nocturnal predators.
Reef DwellerHerbivorousColor Changing
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyTurf algae, Filamentous macroalgae, Seagrass
Predators
- Nassau Grouper
- Great Barracuda
- Caribbean Reef Shark
ThreatsCoral reef degradation, warming ocean temperatures, and artisanal trap fishing
HabitatsCoral reefs, rocky hardbottoms, and shallow seagrass beds
Life span5–8 years
Classification
- FamilyScaridae
- SpeciesSparisoma aurofrenatum
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
- Reef Etiquette: Float motionless above shallow patch reefs to watch them graze without spooking them.
- Acoustic Clues: Listen underwater for distinct crunching sounds as fused beak teeth rasp over dead coral.
Predator (c) Robin White, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Robin White · cc-by
Image unavailableCompetitor 
Close Relative Adona9 at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative (c) Paul Prior, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Paul Prior · cc-by
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