The stoplight parrotfish is named for the distinctive yellow mark at the base of its pelvic fins, which resembles a « traffic light ». However, this mark is characteristic of the male, and the female looks quite different ! Thus, it can be challenging for novices to realize that the female stoplight parrotfish is the same species !

At birth, the stoplight parrotfish is female and has a predominantly greenish color sprinkled with whitish scales. Its anal fins and the base of its belly are red. The end of the tail is also red, bordered by a broad whitish band.

As a male, whether from birth or after a sex change, the stoplight parrotfish transforms dramatically, adopting a bluish hue with a turquoise-blue mottled head and a distinctive yellow mark at the base of its pelvic fins. Its anal and pelvic fins are edged with a blue trim.

The stoplight parrotfish is a medium-sized fish, averaging about 12 inches in length, with a maximum size of 24 inches.

This fish is commonly found in the Caribbean sea, the Gulf of Mexico and along the coasts of Florida. The stoplight parrotfish inhabits the western tropical Atlantic ocean, from Florida in the north to Brazil in the south, including Central America and the Caribbean, with its many islands such as the Keys, the Bahamas and Guadeloupe.

The stoplight parrotfish typically lives in shallow waters from the surface down to 164 feet. It is a solitary fish that inhabits clear coral reefs.

Equipped with a powerful jaw, resembling a bird's beak, which gives it its name, the stoplight parrotfish grazes on the surface of dead coral to feed on the microalgae covering it. It also scrapes and crushes a part of the superficial layer of dead coral with its strong jaw. The crushed coral is then expelled as fine powder, contributing actively to the formation of white sand in coral reef areas.

The stoplight parrotfish is a hermaphrodite; if born female, it can change to male depending on environmental conditions, but if born male, it will remain so. This sex change is accompanied by a color change that makes it easy to distinguish males from females.

The stoplight parrotfish plays an important role in creating the white sandy bottoms that characterize lagoons, giving them their turquoise-blue color.

The different color phases associated with the transformation of the stoplight parrotfish can be misleading, leading scientists to believe there were more species than actually exist, so don't be fooled  !

The stoplight parrotfish is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The stoplight parrotfish appears in the IUCN Red List since 2012 within the category Least Concern !

Observe the whitish plumes expelled by the stoplight parrotfish, which correspond to the crushed coral expelled by its powerful jaw !