Large parrotfish, blackish blue with bright blue on the head, from Caribbean reefs. Banned in several countries and not on Brazil's list: a profile for recognizing and releasing it.
Also called: budião-negro, midnight parrotfish, blue tumbler, nightowl parrot
The midnight parrotfish is the only large black or dark-blue parrotfish in the Caribbean. It lives from 5 to 75 m, usually down to 20 m, on rocky-shore reefs and open-sea reefs, often in schools that scrape algae off rocks and dead corals together with surgeonfish. It reaches 77 cm and 7 kg, with a common length of 50 cm, and the maximum recorded age exceeds 30 years. FishBase gives its range from Bermuda and Florida to French Guiana, without listing Brazil. It is protected in several countries, and this profile is meant to help you recognize it and release it.
fun facts
FishBase records a maximum age of 31 years.
FishBase classifies it as harmless, unlike the Caribbean blue parrotfish and the rainbow parrotfish, which have reports of ciguatera.
Scrapes algae alongside surgeonfish, which keeps corals clean.
how to recognize it
identification
Adults generally black or dark blue, with the scale centers and the head area without scales in bright blue and a blue band between the eyes. Blue-green teeth. Dorsal with 9 spines and 10 soft rays; anal with 3 spines and 11 rays. It is the only large black or dark-blue parrotfish in the Caribbean, which sets it apart from the Caribbean blue parrotfish (uniform sky blue).
how midnight parrotfish fishing looks
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Western Atlantic, from Bermuda and southern Florida to the Bahamas, the Caribbean and French Guiana. FishBase does not list Brazil, and Brazilian collection records under this name (28, almost all in Bahia) have not been reviewed. In Brazil, large blue-tinged parrotfish are usually Scarus trispinosus, which is threatened.
Habitat: Rocky-shore reefs and open-sea reefs, from 5 to 75 m and usually up to 20 m, in schools that scrape algae.
calendar and clock
when to fish
best season
time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
No fishing season: the species is protected in several countries and is not fished for.
best time of day
Daytime. Grazes algae by day on the reefs and hides at night; not a night-biting fish.
weather, water and behavior
what affects the midnight parrotfish
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
if hooked by chance, remove the hook with pliers, without taking the fish out of the water
accessories
long-nose pliers
ruler
tip from an angler
The blue parrotfish rarely takes a hook: it scrapes algae. If one comes onto the line, let it go; this profile is for recognizing the species, not for catching it.
what the law says
rules for the midnight parrotfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency. Conservation: Data deficient in the 2009 global assessment. Not on the Brazilian national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). It is protected by rule in Puerto Rico (federal waters), Belize, the Dominican Republic and the San Andrés archipelago; see the rules above.
Puerto Rico (federal waters): fishing or keeping prohibited
fishing and possession prohibited; release with minimal harm
In federal waters around Puerto Rico, from 9 miles offshore, no one may fish for or keep the Caribbean blue parrotfish (blue parrotfish), the midnight parrotfish or the rainbow parrotfish; if one is caught, it must be released at once with minimal harm. Within 9 miles the DRNA rules apply; in the text of Regulation 7949 (2010) that we read, we found no rule for parrotfish, but confirm with the DRNA.
Belize: fishing, buying, selling or possessing parrotfish prohibited
capture, purchase, sale and possession prohibited
In Belize, no one may fish in the country's waters, or buy, sell or possess "grazers" fish, defined in the rule as those of the family Scaridae (including the genera Scarus and Sparisoma) and the family Acanthuridae (surgeonfish). The offense carries a fine of up to US$500, or up to 6 months in prison, or both. The rule dates from 2009; the 2020 Fisheries Resources Act added rules, so confirm it is still in force with the Belize Fisheries Department.
Dominican Republic: parrotfish closed season, 2025 to 2027
capture, fishing and sale prohibited for two years, from July 2, 2025confirm with the agency
Decree 266-25, of 2025, opens a new two-year closed season, until 2027, for reef herbivorous fish: capture, fishing and sale are prohibited for the family Scaridae (parrotfish, called jabón, butú and cotorra), as well as surgeonfish, angelfish, butterflyfish and sea cucumbers. Decree 418-21 already banned these families from 2021 to 2023. The text of the 2025 decree was not read, and the exact end date must be confirmed with the Ministry of Environment.
Colombia (San Andrés archipelago): parrotfish fishing and trade banned since 2019
fishing (including sport) and trade prohibited in the archipelagoconfirm with the agency
In July 2019 Coralina, the environmental corporation of the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina archipelago, banned all commercial, industrial, sport and recreational fishing of 14 parrotfish species (and of surgeonfish, butterflyfish and angelfish), as well as trade, possession, storage and shipment to the rest of the country. We did not verify the resolution number or whether the species is on the list: confirm with Coralina.
Mexico: up to 10 marine fish per angler per day, no more than 5 of the same species
10 marine specimens per angler per day; no more than 5 of the same species
In Mexico's federal waters, sport and recreational fishing for marine species has a limit of 10 specimens per angler per day, with no more than 5 of any one species. Fish over the limit may only be taken if released alive. Sport-caught fish belong to the permit holder and may not be sold; fish may not be landed as fillets (they may only be filleted on board for consumption during the trip). For spearfishing the limit is 5 fish per day. Fishing from a boat requires a permit.
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
If it is caught on a hook or in a net, release it alive at once, with wet hands and without lifting it out of the water; do not hold it by the gills. Photos only if quick.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh and salted where allowed (FishBase). Since it is protected in several countries, this profile gives no recipe.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01549, b = 3.06; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
scientificFishBase: Scarus coelestinus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked Oct 13, 2026. The common weight was calculated from the length-weight relationship.
scientificFishBase: nomes populares de Scarus coelestinusNames by country and language. FishBase gives no Portuguese name: 'budião-negro' is an editorial designation (the parrotfish group, in Portuguese, plus the color), not an established name in Brazil.
scientificGBIF: registros de Scarus coelestinus no BrasilChecked Oct 13, 2026 in the open GBIF database (country = Brazil). Records come from collections and observations and show where the species has been seen, not how abundant it is. There are 28 collection records under this name in Brazil, almost all in Bahia; they have not been reviewed here.
