Species: Scarus coeruleus, Blue Parrotfish

Scarus coeruleus (Bloch, 1786)

Blue Parrotfish

Body an elongate oval, somewhat compressed; large males with a strong hump on snout; 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 31-50; dorsal fin IX, 10, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 9; pectoral II, 12-13 (1st spine very short); tail fin rounded in juveniles, concave edge in large adults with elongate lobes; scales large, smooth, 3 rows on cheek, lowest row of 2 scales; 6 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line in 2 sections.

Juveniles: pale blue, upper head, top of front of back and spiny dorsal yellow. Adults: deep blue or green-blue, with a broad grey area on cheek.

Reaches 120 cm.

On reefs.

Depth range: 2-25 m.

Maryland to the S Caribbean.