How to Identify Midnight Parrotfish

Midnight parrotfish (also known as Scarus coelestinus) are some of the most remarkable fishes you might come across in your excursions. Not only is their color extraordinary memorable, but their sheer size takes many divers by surprise: mature adults can grow up to a yard in length. While shy, a midnight parrotfish sighting can make an entire diving trip worthwhile.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Midnight parrotfish can be found in throughout the Western Atlantic, from Bermuda to southern Florida (or even as far north as Maryland), and from the Bahamas to Rio.

2. These parrotfish possess incredibly distinctive coloring; almost their entire body is a dark, navy blue, except for some light blue around their mouth, in-between their eyes, and up the center of their head. They are also quite large, anywhere from one to three feet long.

3. Midnight parrotfish feed on algae and coral polyps, using their parrot-like beak to scrape coral and rocks. You can actually hear the scraping noise of their teeth along the coral.

4. Midnight parrotfish are usually found in water 15 to 225 feet deep, in reefs and sandy areas.

5. Midnight parrotfish can often be found in school, perhaps feeding in the company of surgeonfishes, Because of their eating habits, they also ingest a great deal of limestone, which is then excreted as sand.

Tips & Warnings

• Females are often drabber in color , but females can actually change into males, if the dominant male of a school dies.
• Herbivores like the midnight parrotfish ensure that the reefs aren't overwhelmed with algae. Overfishing is not only a threat to the parrotfish, but to the reef.

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