The stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the family Scaridae, inhabiting coral reefs in Florida, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda and as far south as Brazil. It mainly feeds on algae by scraping and excavating it with its teeth. Like most of its relatives, it is able to change sex.
The common name, stoplight, comes from the marked yellow spot near the pectoral fin, which is clearly visible only in specimens in the terminal phase.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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AlgivoreAn algivore is a common name for many bottom-dwelling or algae-eating species that feed on algae.
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DetritivoreDetritivores (also known as detrivores, detritophages, detritus feeders, or detritus eaters) are organisms that obtain nutrients by consuming detri...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PolyandryPolygyny is a mating system in which one female lives and mates with multiple males but each male only mates with a single female.
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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The stoplight parrotfish inhabit shallow coral reefs not disturbed by humans in Florida, the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda and Brazil. They are only active during the day and spend most of their time foraging, swimming, or hovering. At night, they remain hidden under coral boulders. Large individuals typically spend more time swimming and spend a significant amount of time sheltering among crevices, while smaller individuals spend more time hovering. The stoplight parrotfish have a high density in areas of higher algal production. As adults, the stoplight parrotfish are site-attached with limited home ranges.
In the Florida Keys, the stoplight parrotfish were found most frequently in areas with high cover of the macroalgae Dictyota. They have also been found to select for the branching coral Porites porites, however Dictyota are an effective recruitment substrate when branching corals are not available.
Due to its abundance in the Caribbean, the stoplight parrotfish are very ecologically important there.
Stoplight parrotfishes engage in reproductive activity throughout the year. They are harem-forming fishes and territorial terminal phase males defend areas that are shared with 1-14 initial phase parrotfishes, with whom they mate. There is more territorial defense in areas with high-quality food. Single terminal phase males also defend the deeper reef from conspecifics.
Stoplight parrotfish males will often control territories containing many sexually mature females to breed with. Males that have territories and those that don't will have vastly different levels of testosterone.
