Species: Scarus guacamaia, Rainbow Parrotfish

Scarus guacamaia Cuvier, 1829

Rainbow Parrotfish

Body oval, somewhat compressed; teeth fused into a beak with two broad joined plates on each jaw, outer surface of plates smooth, not covered by lips; top jaw overlaps lower jaw at front; 1-2 canines on rear side of top jaw; large crushing plates of molar teeth form “pharyngeal mill” in throat; gill rakers 51-64; dorsal fin IX, 10, no notch between spines and rays; anal fin III, 9; pectoral II, 14 (1st spine very short); tail fin rounded in juveniles, W-shaped edge in large adults with elongate lobes; scales large, smooth, 3 rows on cheek, lowest row of 1 scale; 6 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line in 2 sections.

Small fish: scales with bronze edges, green centers; scaled part of head bronze, short green lines around eye; chest and unscaled part of head dull orange; fins dull orange. Large fish: bicolored, rear (lower belly, top of back, rear of body and tail base) green, front half and head bronze, more green areas in larger fish; dorsal, tail and anal fins with green bases, orange centers and green borders.

Reaches 120 cm.

On reefs.

Depth range: 1-55 m; adults feed in very shallow water.

Bermuda to the S Caribbean; possibly in Brazil.