Terminal phase: distguished from other parrotfishes by its pink scale borders; it also features a yellow forehead.

Juvenile/Initial phase: white body with three dark longitudinal stripes, the median line running from snout to tail, across eyes. Distinguished from juvenile Princess Parrotfish from lack of black lines on  outer edges of tail fin.

Juvenile: hardly two inches long, light grey body with white dots, green head and orange eyes.

Intermediate (can be male or female): Brown to white head, yellow "eyelids" black-rimmed grey-ish and white-ish scales upper body, bright red belly and fins, tail fin end included.

Terminal (adult and male only): Overall bright turquoise with lilac to red-rimmed scales, turquoise bordered lilac dorsal and anal fins characteristic bright yellow or orange patch on tail root, similarly coloured crescent on inner portion of tail fin, large lilac blotch on "forehead", lilac line from mouth crack backwards, bright yellow spot on upper gill lid follwed by lilac-pink vertical lines on gill edge.

As some of the pictures below show, the Stoplight Parrotfish tends to adopt subdued colours at night while sleeping, Older specimens tend to boast paler colours,

Initial phase (top in title picture): Mottled white and red-brown.

Terminal phase: blue-green, with reddish crescent in tail fin. Ventral area is yellowish, but area immediately behind the pectoral fins is more resolutely blue.

All parrotfishes sport a strong elongated oval body boasting large scales, prominent mouth with bill-like frontal teeth (hence the name) with which they bite away at coral. The redband parrotfish is somewhat smaller. While most parrotfishes have three essential growth phases (Juvenile, Intermediate and Terminal), the Redband Parrotfish inserts additional physical characteristics between Juvenile and Intermediate phases (unfortunately not yet featured here), but not only: in both its initial and terminal phases, the species has the wherewithal of rapidly and dramatically changing its appearance, especially while resting at night, to make itself look particularly uninviting with the first dorsal fin spines unequivocally deployed as exemplified by photos below.

TITLE PHOTO: The combined photo above shows Terminal Phase above Intermediate Phase specimen.

Terminal (supermale adult): Light green upper and aft body, lighter underbody and sides just aft the pectoral fins, light red/pink dorsal and anal fins. Red eyes amd orange line runs from mouth crack passing under the eyes. Belly can turn red under certain circumstances at night.

Intermediate phase: Overal dark green with bright red dorsal, ventral, anal and tail fins. Can dramatically change appearance, especially at night while  resting. Always very marked scales.

Terminal: yellow blotch and black stains behind the gills, above the body centerline.

Intermediate: white spot just aft the dorsal fin.