Species: Scarus taeniopterus, Princess Parrotfish

Scarus taeniopterus Desmarest, 1831

Princess 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 40-52; 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 brown stripes, top and bottom edges of tail fin dark. Initial phase: upper body and tail base brown, with 3 white stripes, along top midline and above and below eye; lower part pale grey to whitish; snout not yellowish; tail with upper and lower edges dark brown. Terminal phase: body bluey; body scales with pink bars, a short yellow stripe along side of body above pectoral fin; head blue grey above, blue below; a green stripe from snout, through lower edge of eye to rear corner of operculum; another through top edge of eye back along operculum; dorsal and anal fins with green bases, pink centers and blue outer edges; tail fin blue, with pink top and bottom edges.

Reaches 30 cm.

On reefs.

Depth range: 1-107 m.

Bermuda to the S Caribbean.