Species: Scarus vetula, Queen Parrotfish

Scarus vetula Bloch & Schneider, 1801

Queen 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 50-60; dorsal fin IX, 10, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 9; pectoral II, 12 (1st spine very short); tail fin bluntly rounded; scales large, smooth, 4 rows on cheek; 7 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line in 2 sections.

Juvenile: white + black stripes. Initial phase: body dark brown, a broad white stripe from top of pectoral base to lower end of tail base; head grey above, whitish below; dorsal and tail fins dark brown; anal fin white. Terminal phase: head and body bluish to bluish green; a blue-green stripe from chin to under eye, a blue bar across front of snout, a blue strap under chin; a short blue stripe through top of eye; a broad diagonal blue stripe from the side of the nape up to under the middle of the dorsal fin; body scales with pink bars; pectoral translucent blue, with a central pink stripe; tail fin with a pink base and pink lobes, rear of fin blue green, top and bottom edges blue.

Reaches 50 cm.

On reefs.

Depth range: 1-71 m.

Bermuda to the S Caribbean.