Species · GBIF taxon 9811485
Blue Parrotfish
Scarus coeruleusBlue parrotfish drift across sunlit Caribbean reefs like vibrant azure shadows, scraping algae from dead coral with their fused, beak-like teeth. These industrious herbivores spend up to ninety percent of their day feeding, grinding up limestone skeleton and excreting it as fine white sand that builds tropical beaches. At night, they seek shelter in reef crevices, sometimes spinning a transparent mucus cocoon to mask their scent from nocturnal predators.
Reef-dwellingVibrantDiurnal
Licensed referenceDerek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
—observations
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—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Benthic Algae
- Coral Polyps
- Seagrasses
Predators
- Moray Eels
- Reef Sharks
- Large Groupers
ThreatsHabitat degradation, coastal development, overfishing
HabitatsShallow coral reefs, rocky coasts, seagrass beds
Life spanUp to 20 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyScaridae
- SpeciesScarus coeruleus
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: Snorkelers can easily hear the distinct crunching sound of their teeth scraping against coral.
- Keep your distance: Avoid crowding feeding schools to prevent them from scattering and interrupting their grazing.
- Look for sand: Watch behind a feeding individual to see the clouds of freshly processed coral sand they release.
Reef Companion Adona9 at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Paul Asman and Jill Lenoble / CC BY 2.0 · cc-by
Image unavailableClose Relative 
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
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