Queen parrotfish (Scarus vetula)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Scarus vetula
- Common name
- Queen parrotfish
- Category
- Fish
- Family
- Labridae
- Genus
- Scarus
- Size
- 30–61 cm
- Depth
- 3–25 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- reef
- Behaviours
- herbivorous, schooling
- Ocean zones
- Caribbean, Eastern Pacific
Description
Scarus vetula reaches 61 cm. Terminal-phase males spectacular: deep green body with complex orange and pink patterns on the head that give it the queen name. Initial phase grey-brown with a longitudinal white stripe. Grazes algae on coral with its horny beak. Sleeps at night in a mucus bubble it secretes to hide from scent-hunting predators.
Photo of Queen parrotfish
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Queen parrotfish?
- Queen parrotfish (Scarus vetula) reaches 30–61 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Queen parrotfish?
- Queen parrotfish is found between 3–25 m deep.
- Is the Queen parrotfish dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Queen parrotfish?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Queen parrotfish?
- Found in: Caribbean, Eastern Pacific.
Other species in the genus Scarus
- Scarus iseri - Striped parrotfish
- Scarus coelestinus - Midnight parrotfish
- Scarus coeruleus - Blue parrotfish
- Scarus taeniopterus - Princess parrotfish
- Scarus perrico - Bumphead parrotfish Pacific
- Scarus ghobban - Blue-barred parrotfish (Eastern Pacific)
Other species in the family Labridae
- Labrus merula - Brown wrasse
- Bodianus rufus - Spanish hogfish
- Bodianus pulchellus - Cuban hogfish
- Halichoeres pictus - Rainbow wrasse
- Halichoeres cyanocephalus - Yellowcheek wrasse
- Sparisoma chrysopterum - Redtail parrotfish
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 276064)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2393681)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia