Species: Scarus coelestinus, Midnight Parrotfish

Scarus coelestinus Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840

Midnight Parrotfish

Body an elongate oval, somewhat compressed; teeth fused into a beak with two broad joined plates on each jaw, outer surface of plates smooth, not covered by lips; top jaw overlaps lower jaw at front; 1-2 canines on rear side of top jaw; large crushing plates of molar teeth form “pharyngeal mill” in throat; gill rakers 12-13; dorsal fin IX, 10, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 9; pectoral II, 14 (1st spine very short); tail fin rounded in juveniles, W shaped edge in large adults with elongate lobes; scales large, smooth, 2-3 rows on cheek, lowest row of 2 scales; 6 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line in 2 sections.

Both sexes and juvenile same color: black, centers of body scales bright blue; scaled parts of head black, unscaled parts bright blue, a blue bar between eyes; teeth blue-green.

Reaches 77 cm, 7 kg.

On reefs.

Depth range: 1-75 m; usually < 20 m.

Bermuda to Suriname. Its brazilian sister species is S. trispinosus.