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Species: Sparisoma aurofrenatum, Redband parrotfish

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IP - fins red; white spot upper tail base
TP - eye red, red stripe under eye; yellow+black spot above pectoral base; C black tips
juv - like IP + dark blotch behind opercle
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This Species (19) This Genus (8) Similar Species (2)

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Sparisoma aurofrenatum (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1840)

Redband parrotfish

Body elongate, somewhat compressed; flap at front nostril tall, with 4-8 cirri in adult; teeth fused into a beak with broad plates, outer surface of plates rough with individual teeth visible, partly covered by lips; front edge of top jaw inside front edge of lower jaw when mouth is closed; 1-2 canines on rear side of top jaw; large crushing plates of molar teeth form “pharyngeal mill” in throat; gill rakers 11-16; tips of membranes between dorsal spines with 1 small cirrus or none; dorsal fin IX, 10, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 9; scales large, smooth, 1 row on cheek, 4 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; 2 scales on centerline before pelvic fins; lateral line in 2 sections.

Juvenile: like IP, but iris red, and with a dark blotch on and behind the top corner of the operculum. Initial phase: body dark to mid grey brown, paler below, sometimes with two pale stripes (mouth to tail base, over eye to tail base); a white spot on upper tail base just behind dorsal fin; median fins reddish to brownish. Terminal phase: Greenish grey, paler below, flank yellowish brown, with a reddish tint below; a red stripe from mouth, under eye to upper operculum; iris red; a yellow blotch (bordered above by a cluster of small black spots) behind upper corner of operculum; dorsal and anal fins reddish; tail fin yellowish grey, broadly bordered above, below and behind by red, tips of lobes black.

Reaches 28 cm; up to at least 5 years.

On reefs and adjacent seagrass and algal beds.

Depth: 1-76 m.

Bermuda to the S Caribbean.

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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Reef and soft bottom
  • Corals
  • Submerged vegetation
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Rocks
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Herbivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Benthic microalgae
  • Benthic macroalgae/seagrasses
  • Data
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • GC endemic
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Island (s)
  • All species..
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 28
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 76