Sparisoma rocha, a new species of parrotfish (Actinopterygii: Labridae) from Trindade Island, South-western Atlantic

A new species of parrotfish, Sparisoma rocha sp. n., is described from Trindade Island off South-eastern Brazil. It differs from its Western Atlantic congeners by the unique colour pattern of live and freshly preserved individuals: initial phase red overall with a brownish shade from lower jaw to over the abdominal cavity, sparse orange blotches on head, and pale circumpeduncular band; terminal phase reddish brown with orange stripe from jaw angle to end of preopercle, sparse orange blotches on head, three pinkish to reddish stripes from about midline to dorsum, from midline to belly pale greyish green to whitish with suffusion of pale reddish brown, a black spot on base of pectoral fins and a bright-yellow blotch below this spot.

Additionally, mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA loci sequences do not match any known Sparisoma species. The new parrotfish increases to six the species of the genus Sparisoma recorded from South-western Atlantic.