Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum
Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum, Juvenile. Fish caught off the Anglin’s Fishing Pier, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, November 2014. Length: 15 cm (5.9 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ryan Crutchfield, Tampa, Florida.
Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum, Initial Phase (IP) Female. Fish caught from coastal waters off, Belize, December 2020. Length: 18 cm (7.1 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Josh Leisen (joshadventures.com), Gaylord, Michigan.
Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum, Initial Phase (IP) Female. Fish caught off the Anglin’s Fishing Pier, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida, March 2014. Length: 21.5 cm (8.5 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of George Brinkman, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum, Initial Phase (IP) Female. Fish caught from coastal waters off Key West, Florida, March. Length: 24 cm (9.4 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Dean Kimberly, Atlanta, Georgia. Identification courtesy of H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.
Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum, Initial Phase (IP) Female. Fish caught from coastal waters off Key West, Florida, August 2014. Length: 26 cm (10 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Dean Kimberly, Atlanta, Georgia.
Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum, Initial Phase (IP) Female. Fish caught from coastal waters off Broward County, Florida, August 2021. Length: 30 cm (12 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Sebastian, Florida.
Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum, Terminal Phase (TP) Male. Fish caught from within the Peanut Island Park, Riviera Beach, Florida, June 2023. Length: 20 cm (7.9 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.
Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum, Terminal Phase (TP) Male. Fish caught from coastal waters off Fort Lauderdale, Florida, December 2016. Length: 22 cm (8.7 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Eli (obsessive-angling.wordpress.com).
The Redtail Parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum, is a member of the Parrotfish or Scaridae Family, and is known in Mexico as loro verde. Globally, there are fifteen species in the genus Sparisoma, of which six are found in Mexican waters, all in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Redtail Parrotfish has an elongated robust body and are more aerodynamic than most other Parrotfish. Females in the initial phase (IP) have a tan background color with mottled patterns and can quickly change colors to match their surroundings. Their anal, dorsal, and pelvic fins are an orange-red color. They have a dark blotch at the base of their pectoral fin and a light saddle-shaped area on top of the base of their caudal fin. A key to identification is the crescent-shaped wide dark red band on the base of their crescent-shaped caudal fin. Males in the terminal phase (TP) are similar in color but with a turquoise belly. They do not have traditional parrot-like teeth. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 9 rays ; their caudal fin is lunate; and, their dorsal fin has 9 spines and 10 rays. Their body is covered with large scales.
The Redtail Parrotfish is found in coral reef and seagrass environments at depths up to 20 m (65 feet). Juveniles are found within seagrass beds where they are well camouflaged against the sea floor. They reach a maximum of 46 cm (18 inches) in length and are common at 25 cm (10 inches) and at 0.91 kg (2 lbs 0 oz) in weight. They forage during the day, feeding on benthic algae, corals, and seagrass. They are hermaphrodites and live in harems with a dominant male. They are not territorial and live in harmony with other species. The Redtail Parrotfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Redtail Parrotfish are widespread in the western Atlantic and throughout the Caribbean Sea. In Mexican waters they are limited to waters of the Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the Yucatán Peninsula in both the Gulf of Mexican and the Caribbean.
The Redtail Parrotfish cannot easily be confused with any other species due to the wide red band on its tail.
From a conservation perspective the Redtail Parrotfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are targeted by commercial fishermen utilizing gill nets, pots and traps. They are considered to be an important food fish throughout the Caribbean.