This species of Parrotfish can be brown, blue, green, yellow, and purple and can change their colors several times throughout their lifetime.

[4] This species is endemic to the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, such as in the Brazilian waters, and occurs at depths from 1–60 m with a temperature range of 24-28 °C.

[5] Terminal phase Zelindae are commonly found in coral and rocky reefs that are deeper in the ocean and further from the coast.

[2][7] This is due to these habitats having a high amount of cyanobacteria on the sponges and corals which is an important source of nutrients for parrotfish.

The digestive system of these parrotfish contains additional teeth within their throats that break down coral fragments into the renowned white sands of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

This process, known as bioerosion, reduces the number of algae while generating fresh surfaces for developing corals to cling to and grow on.

[9] Scrapers have a mobile and complex jaw articulation with slender musculature and a non-excavating bite that restricts them to the removal of algae from the substratum surface only.

[9][2] During the day, Scarus zelindae scrapes algae from coral reefs in the southwest Atlantic Ocean with a parrot-like beak.

One theory is that sex changes occur when population densities are low since there is a lack of breeding males and females.

Recreational spearfishing targets adult parrotfish in their terminal phase and could cause them to become locally extinct if this continues.

[3] In addition, habitat degradation such as the deforestation of mangroves and the removal of seagrasses has negatively impacted the lifecycle of parrotfish.

Parrotfish play an important ecological role in sustaining coral reefs, something that is vital to maintaining the health and diversity of marine ecosystems.