Scarus vetula
Queen Parrotfish
Maximum Size:
2 ft (0.6 m)
Longevity:
Up to 20 years
Typical depth:
10-80 ft (3-25 m)
Behavior:
During the day, Queen parrotfish feed by scraping algae off rocks and dead coral using their tough, parrot-like beaks. At night, they secrete a membrane of mucus from a gland at the base of their gills which surrounds them like a bubble and masks their scent from nocturnal predators.
Predators:
Grouper, eels and sharks.
Did you know?
The rock and dead coral that parrotfish consume is ground up by plates in their throat before being excreted as fine sand over the reef. Parrotfish poop is therefore one of the many sources of the beautiful, white sandy beaches found in the tropics.
