Queen Parrotfish
Scarus vetula
Sighting evidence at Trunk Bay, US Virgin Islands
Supermale queen parrotfish are a centrepiece species at Trunk Bay, their turquoise and salmon colouration a vivid contrast against bleached sand. They continually bite coral rock with fused beak-like teeth, processing calcium carbonate into the white sand that defines the bay's famous shoreline. A single large male may produce hundreds of kilograms of sand annually, making them keystone engineers of the reef habitat.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Queen Parrotfish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.