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Species: Scarus coelestinus, Midnight Parrotfish

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adult: black + blue scale centers, blue marks on head
juv: like adult

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.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef only
  • Rocks
  • Corals
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Herbivore
Diet
  • Data
  • Benthic macroalgae/seagrasses
  • Benthic microalgae
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Data deficient
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 77
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 75