Species: Scarus iseri, Striped Parrotfish

Scarus iseri (Bloch, 1789)

Striped Parrotfish

Body elongate, 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 40-51; dorsal fin IX, 10, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 9; pectoral II, 11-12 (1st spine very short); tail fin bluntly rounded; scales large, smooth, 3 rows on cheek, 5-7 scales in top row, lowest row of 2 scales; 7-8 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line in 2 sections.

Juvenile: pale + 3 dark stripes along body; snout yellow; tail fin all clear. Initial phase: upper body and tail base brown, with 2 white stripes, above and below eye; lower part pale grey; snout yellowish; several yellow to orange dotted lines along belly; tail fin clear. Terminal phase: body blue-grey above, fading to whitish below; body scales with pink edges; head blue grey above, yellowish to pink below; a dark purplish aqua bordered stripe from snout through eye to center of operculum and back along center line of body, that changing to red or yellow on front part of body then fading away further back; a black spot at top rear corner of operculum, with a cream to white stripe on front part of body behind it; dorsal, anal and tail fins pinkish, with blue outer edges (top and bottom edges in tail); nape dull yellow brown.

Reaches 27 cm; up to at least 8 years.

Lives on reefs.

Depth range: 0-68 m.

North Carolina to the S Caribbean.