Aspect: 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 Stoplight Parrotfish owes its name to the bright yellow spot boasted by terminal phase males on the root of their tail. Population: Ubiquitous. Notable feature: 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, Environment: Swims around rocks and coral boulders from which it violently bites off coral and algae. Behaviour: Can be approached within one metre. One of the most notable traits of parrotfishes is their habit of strongly biting at coral. They do so so violently that it can clearly be heard by the observing diver. Once an initial hole is made, the edges are easier to bite off, which is why the animal tends to work on a same spot before moving on. The resultant white scars are often mistaken for signs of coral bleaching.
