Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

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Species: Sparisoma axillare, Redeye parrotfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

IP - red-brown, yellow scales behind opercle; pectoral base - dark spot
TP- grey, D & A yellow, C black top & bottom edges; pectoral yellow + black spot upper base

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: 1-54 m.

Primarily Brazil, but also the SE Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Rocks
  • 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)
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Herbivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Detritus
  • Benthic microalgae
  • Benthic macroalgae/seagrasses
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • Continent only
  • Continent
  • GC non-endemic
  • Extends South of GC
  • Also in Brazil
  • All species..
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Data deficient
CITES
  • Not listed
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 54
Length Max
  • 43