princess parrotfish
Scarus taeniopterus
Parrotfish of shallow reefs, which forms large aggregations to feed on plants. It has little interest for fishing.
Also called: peixe-papagaio-princesa, loro princesa, loro listado, princess parrotfish
- maximum
- 35 cm
- depth
- 2–25 m
who is the princess parrotfish
Fish of the family Labridae, reaching 35 cm. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from Bermuda, southern Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil, throughout the Caribbean. It lives on coral or rock bottoms, in shallow waters 2 to 25 m deep. Juveniles usually stay in seagrass. It forms large aggregations to feed on plants and sleeps inside a mucus cocoon. In fishing, it is accidental bycatch and of minor commercial use.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the princess parrotfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Sleeps inside a mucus cocoon.
identification
Like all parrotfish, it has its teeth fused into a beak. Juveniles and young adults have dark olive-green backs and two broad dark bands. The upper band runs from the tip of the snout, through the eye, to the middle of the base of the tail. The lower one runs from the chin, along the base of the pectoral fin, to the base of the lower tail. A white area above the upper band outlines the front of the head, above the eye.
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.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Western Atlantic, from Bermuda, southern Florida and the Bahamas to Brazil, throughout the Caribbean. In Brazil, there are records from Maranhão and Bahia.
Habitat: Coral or rock bottoms in shallow waters, 2 to 25 m, with juveniles in seagrass.
coast
rules for the princess 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: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
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.
No dangerous spines or venom. There are reports of ciguatera in this species, so avoid eating specimens of doubtful origin.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01413, b = 3.04; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Scarus taeniopterus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Scarus taeniopterusNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
