Scarus guacamaia

(Cuvier, 1829)

Vernacular names
English : Rainbow parrotfish
French : Poisson perroquet arc-en-ciel

Classification
Class : Teleostei
Order : Eupercaria i. s. (sometimes still Perciformes)
Family : Scaridae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Adults can reach more than 1 m in length (usually less) for a weight of 20 kg. Largest parrotfish in the Atlantic. Ground coloration is dark salmon pink with green-blue spots on flank scales. Head pink-orange with blue lines. Blue-edged fins.

Range and habitat
The species occurs in the western Atlantic ocean, from Bermudas, Bahamas and south Florida to Argentina. Absent from Gulf of Mexico. Lives in mangrove areas and shallow coral reefs, to 25 meters deep.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : NEAR THREATENED
CITES : Not Listed
Status : Like most large-bodied fishes, the species occurs in low densities. Some populations have greatly declined because of overfishing and habitat loss.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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