Species: Sparisoma axillare, Redeye Parrotfish

Sparisoma axillare (Steindachner, 1878)

Redeye Parrotfish

Body elongate, somewhat compressed; head relatively blunt, rounded in TP; convex between eyes; flap at front nostril tall, with >10 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 12-16; dorsal fin IX, 10, spine membranes with many cirri, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 9; tail fin slightly concave in IP, strongly concave with long filamentous lobes in TP; scales large, smooth, 1 row on cheek, 4 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line in 2 sections.

Initial phase: pale brown; iris red; anal and pelvic fins reddish; a large area of yellow blotches along mid flank and upper belly; a dark blotch on upper pectoral base. Terminal phase: head and body grey brown; lower head whitish, snout and cheek may be red-brown; iris yellow to reddish; a dark stripe along mid flank; pectoral fin yellow, with a black spot at upper base; a yellow blotch on body above that black spot; dorsal and anal fins yellow; tail fin with dark grey base that merges into black lobes, a red area in center rear of fin, with a whitish rear edge.

Reaches 43 cm.

On reefs.

Depth range: 1-97 m.

Primarily Brazil, but also the SE Caribbean.