Agassiz's Parrotfish

Sparisoma frondosum

Agassiz's Parrotfish is a fish associated with reefs, mainly found in the Southwestern Atlantic, especially near Brazil and its surrounding oceanic islands like St. Paul's Rocks and Fernando de Noronha. It also inhabits areas in the Eastern Central Atlantic, such as Cape Verde. This species prefers coral, algal, and rocky reefs, as well as seagrass beds, and is typically found at depths ranging from 5 to 80 meters, though it is most commonly seen at shallower depths. This parrotfish can be recognized by its reddish fins during its initial phase. Both initial and terminal phase individuals have a pale spot on the upper part of the tail base. Terminal phase individuals do not have the crescent marking on the tail fin margin or the turquoise area near the pectoral fin, which can help differentiate them from similar species. Agassiz's Parrotfish poses no threat to humans. Divers might observe its feeding behavior on algae and other organic materials on the reefs. Its conservation status is currently not evaluated by the IUCN Red List.