Stoplight parrotfish, terminal phase | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Scaridae |
Genus: | Sparisoma |
Species: | S. viride |
Binomial name | |
Sparisoma viride |
The stoplight parrotfish is a sex-changing fish inhabiting coral reefs in Florida, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda and as far south as Brazil.[1] Its typical length is between 1–1.5 ft (30–46 cm), but it can reach 2 ft (61 cm) at times. It is normally found during the day between 15–80 ft (4.6–24 m).[1]
The colors of the stoplight parrotfish in the initial phase, when it could be either a male or a female, are dramatically different from those in the terminal phase, when it's definitely a male.
The common name, stoplight, comes from the marked yellow spot near the pectoral fin, which is clearly visible only in specimens in the terminal phase.