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Species: Cryptotomus roseus, Bluelip parrotfish

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slender, cigar shaped, snout pointed
IP: pink
TP: green, pink & green stripe along body, pink bars under eyes
teeth not fused, free, flat pointed tips
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This Species (22) This Genus (1) Similar Species (4)

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Cryptotomus roseus Cope, 1871

Bluelip parrotfish

Body elongate (depth 22-25% of SL), cigar-shaped; snout pointed; no cirrus at front nostril; teeth not fused into a beak, free, with flattened pointed tips; without canines on side of rear of top jaw; large crushing plates of molar teeth form “pharyngeal mill” in throat; gill membranes with free fold of skin at midline under throat; gill rakers 10-11; dorsal fin IX, 10, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 9; pectoral fin 13; scales large, smooth; 4 scales on top of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line in 2 sections.

Initial phase and juvenile; tan to reddish brown above, fading to whitish below; often with two pale stripes along head and body, 1 above eye and the other below; with pale mottling on darker areas. Terminal phase: snout, top of head and upper back green to blue; lower head yellow, body whitish below; 2 thin pink stripes from eye to mouth; dense pink spots on operculum behind eye merge into a broad pink stripe down side of body and onto tail base; oblique pink bars on flank before and after pectoral fin; dorsal fin reddish, tail fin yellowish.

Reaches 13 cm.

Seagrass, algal beds, rubble and sponge areas.

Depth range: 1-66 m.

W & Central Atlantic; Bermuda to Brazil.

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Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Submerged vegetation
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Reef and soft bottom
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Herbivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Benthic macroalgae/seagrasses
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species.
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
Regional Endemism
  • Island (s)
  • All species..
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Continent
  • GC non-endemic
  • Also in Brazil
  • Extends South of GC
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 13
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 66