Description

The Banded Parrotfish, also known as the Yellow-Saddled Wrasse or New Zealand Banded Wrasse (Notolabrus Fucicola), is a species of Wrasse native to the eastern Indian Ocean, off eastern Australia and all around New Zealand on rocky, weedy reef areas. It grows to a maximum length 23.6″ inches.

The Banded Parrotfish or New Zealand Banded Wrasse is the largest Wrasse in New Zealand waters. It is a moderately deep-bodied fish of varied coloring, young being reddish-brown mottled with green and orange, but adults are green-brown tinged with purple with indistinct yellowish vertical bars on the body and fins. Banded Parrotfish or New Zealand Banded Wrasse are generalist predators with powerful canine teeth that enable them to remove chitons, limpets, and barnacles from rocks. They can also crush and eat mollusks, crabs, and sea urchins.