This #SundayFishSketch comes from Ichthyologist, Rene Martin. Visit her shop on InPrint to see more of her artwork or to order prints!

Meet the Rainbow Parrotfish

Scarus guacamaia

Aside from the species name guacamaia sounding quite a lot like guacamole, the two have nothing in common.

The rainbow parrotfish belongs to the broader parrotfish family of about 95 species, Scaridae. The guacamaia are among the largest at nearly 4 feet in length, living a sweet 16 year life in the waters of the western Atlantic ocean–from Bermuda, throughout the Caribbean, to Venezuela.

They inhabit seagrass beds, coral reefs, and mangrove forests at shallow depths of no more than 85 feet where they spend their time feeding on detritus (dead stuff) and the occasional sponge.

They are currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Sources:

Choat, J.H., Feitosa, C., Ferreira, C.E., Gaspar, A.L., Padovani-Ferreira, B. & Rocha, L.A. 2012. Scarus guacamaia. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T19950A17627624. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T19950A17627624.en. Downloaded on 20 January 2019.