Editing Parrotfish

{{Short description|Clade of ray-finned fishes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Redirect2|Scarinae|Scarini|the group of leafhoppers formerly known by these names|Gyponini}}
{{Distinguish|Parrot cichlid (disambiguation){{!}}parrot cichlid}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Miocene|present}}
| image = Scarus frenatus by Ewa Barska.jpg
| image_caption = ''[[Scarus frenatus]]''
| taxon = Scarini
| authority = [[Constantine Samuel Rafinesque|Rafinesque]], 1810
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = * ''[[Bolbometopon]]''<br/>
* ''[[Calotomus]]''<br/>
* ''[[Cetoscarus]]''<br/>
* ''[[Chlorurus]]''<br/>
* ''[[Cryptotomus]]''<br/>
* ''[[Hipposcarus]]''<br/>
* ''[[Leptoscarus]]''<br/>
* ''[[Nicholsina]]''<br/>
* ''[[Scarus]]''<br/>
* ''[[Sparisoma]]''
}}
'''Parrotfish''' (named for their mouths, which resemble a parrot's beak) are a clade of fish placed in the tribe '''Scarini''' of the [[wrasse]] family (Labridae).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hughes |first1=Lily C |last2=Nash |first2=Chloe M |last3=White |first3=William T |last4=Westneat |first4=Mark W |date=2023-06-17 |editor-last=Matschiner |editor-first=Michael |title=Concordance and Discordance in the Phylogenomics of the Wrasses and Parrotfishes (Teleostei: Labridae) |url=https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article/72/3/530/6798871 |journal=Systematic Biology |language=en |volume=72 |issue=3 |pages=530–543 |doi=10.1093/sysbio/syac072 |issn=1063-5157}}</ref> Traditionally treated as their own family (Scaridae), genetic studies have found them to be deeply nested within the wrasses, and they are now treated as a subfamily (Scarinae) or tribe (Scarini) of them.<ref name =Westneat/> With roughly 95 species, this group's largest [[species richness]] is in the [[Indo-Pacific]]. They are found in [[coral reef]]s, rocky coasts, and [[seagrass]] beds, and can play a significant role in [[bioerosion]].<ref name=j1/><ref name=j2/><ref name=j3/>

==Taxonomy==
Traditionally, the parrotfishes have been considered to be a [[Family (biology)|family]] level [[taxon]], Scaridae. Although [[phylogenetic]] and evolutionary analyses of parrotfishes are ongoing, they are now accepted to be a [[clade]] in the wrasses closely related to the [[Tribe (biology)|tribe]] Cheilini, and are now commonly referred to as scarine labrids (tribe Scarini, family [[Labridae]]).<ref name="Westneat" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite journal |last1=Bellwood |first1=David R. |last2=Schultz |first2=Ortwin |last3=Siqueira |first3=Alexandre C. |last4=Cowman |first4=Peter F. |date=2019 |title=A review of the fossil record of the Labridae |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26595690 |journal=Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. Serie A für Mineralogie und Petrographie, Geologie und Paläontologie, Anthropologie und Prähistorie |volume=121 |pages=125–194 |jstor=26595690 |issn=0255-0091}}</ref> Some authorities have preferred to maintain the parrotfishes as a family-level taxon,<ref name="Randall2007">Randall, J. E. (2007). ''Reef and Shore Fishes of the Hawaiian Islands.'' {{ISBN|978-1-929054-03-9}}</ref> resulting in Labridae not being [[monophyletic]] (unless split into several families).

The following taxonomic placement is based on Bellwood ''et al'' (2019):<ref name=":4" />
* Tribe '''Scarini<ref name=":4" />'''
** Subtribe [[Scarinae|Scarina]]
*** genus ''[[Bolbometopon muricatum|Bolbometopon]]'' <small>Smith, 1956</small> (1 species)
*** genus ''[[Cetoscarus]]'' <small>Smith, 1956</small> (2 species)
*** genus ''[[Chlorurus]]'' <small>Swainson, 1839</small> (18 species)
*** genus ''[[Hipposcarus]]'' <small>Smith, 1956</small> (2 species)
*** genus ''[[Scarus]]'' <small>Forsskål, 1775</small> (53 species)
** Subtribe [[Sparisomatinae|Sparisomatina]]
*** genus ''[[Calotomus]]'' <small>Gilbert, 1890</small> (5 species)
*** genus ''[[Cryptotomus]]'' <small>Cope, 1870</small> (1 species)
*** genus ''[[Leptoscarus]]'' <small>Swainson, 1839</small> (1 species)
*** genus ''[[Nicholsina]]'' <small>Fowler, 1915</small> (3 species)
*** genus ''[[Sparisoma]]'' <small>Swainson, 1839</small> (15 species)

Some sources retain the Scaridae as a family, placing it alongside the [[wrasse]]s of the family Labridae and the weed whitings [[Odacidae]] in the [[Order (biology)|order]] [[Labriformes]], part of the [[Percomorpha]]. They also do not support the division of the Scaridae into two subfamilies.<ref name="Nelson5">{{cite book |author1=J. S. Nelson |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |title=Fishes of the World |author2=T. C. Grande |author3=M. V. H. Wilson |publisher=Wiley |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-118-34233-6 |edition=5th |pages=429–430}}</ref> However, as such a placement is [[Paraphyly|paraphyletic]], they are placed within the wrasses by ''[[Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes]]''.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last1=Fricke |first1=R. |last2=Eschmeyer |first2=W. N. |last3=Van der Laan |first3=R. |date=2025 |title=ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION |url=https://www.calacademy.org/eschmeyers-catalog-of-fishes-classification |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=California Academy of Sciences |language=en}}</ref>

Fossil remains of parrotfishes are known dating back to the [[Early Miocene]] of [[Java]], Indonesia.<ref name=":4" />

==Description==
[[File:Pseudoscarus.jpg|left|thumb|Parrotfish skeleton]]
Parrotfish are named for their [[dentition]],<ref>Ostéologie céphalique de deux poissons perroquets (Scaridae: Teleostei) TH Monod, JC Hureau, AE Bullock - Cybium, 1994 - Société française d'ichtyologie</ref> which is distinct from other fish, including other [[labrid]]s. Their numerous teeth are arranged in a tightly packed mosaic on the external surface of their jaw bones, forming a [[parrot]]-like beak with which they rasp [[algae]] from coral and other rocky substrates<ref name=EoF/> (which contributes to the process of [[bioerosion]]).

Maximum sizes vary within the group, with the majority of species reaching {{convert|30|-|50|cm|abbr=on}} in length. However, a few species reach lengths in excess of {{convert|1|m|abbr=on}}, and the [[green humphead parrotfish]] can reach up to {{convert|1.3|m|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{FishBase |genus=Bolbometopon |species=muricatum |month=December |year=2009}}</ref> The smallest species is the [[Cryptotomus roseus|bluelip parrotfish]] (''Cryptotomus roseus''), which has a maximum size of {{convert|13|cm|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{FishBase |genus=Cryptotomus |species=roseus |month=September |year=2015}}</ref><ref name=Lieske/><ref>Shah, A.K. (2016). {{url|https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Cryptotomus_roseus - Slender Parrotfish.pdf|Cryptotomus roseus (Slender Parrotfish)}}. The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago. The University of the West Indies. Accessed 11 March 2018.</ref>

==Protective mucus==
[[File:Scarus zelindae.jpg|thumb|''[[Scarus zelindae]]'' in its mucus cocoon|left]]

Some parrotfish species, such as the [[queen parrotfish]] (''Scarus vetula''), secrete a mucus cocoon, particularly at night.<ref name=UV>Cerny-Chipman, E. "[http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1133&context=isp_collection Distribution of Ultraviolet-Absorbing Sunscreen Compounds Across the Body Surface of Two Species of Scaridae.]" ''[http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/ DigitalCollections@SIT]'' 2007. Accessed 2009-06-21.</ref> Prior to going to sleep, some species extrude mucus from their mouths, forming a protective cocoon that envelops the fish, presumably hiding its scent from potential predators.<ref>Langerhans, R.B. "[http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/Randall.B.Langerhans-1/Langerhans%202006.pdf Evolutionary consequences of predation: avoidance, escape, reproduction, and diversification.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614031545/http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/Randall.B.Langerhans-1/Langerhans%202006.pdf |date=14 June 2011 }}" pp. 177–220 in Elewa, A.M.T. ed. Predation in organisms: a distinct phenomenon. Heidelberg, Germany, Springer-Verlag. 2007. Accessed 2009-06-21.</ref><ref name=biochem/> This mucus envelope may also act as an early warning system, allowing the parrotfish to flee when it detects predators such as [[moray eel]]s disturbing the membrane.<ref name=biochem/> 

The skin itself is covered in another mucous substance which may have antioxidant properties helpful in repairing bodily damage,<ref name="UV" /><ref name="biochem" /> or repelling parasites, in addition to providing protection from [[Ultraviolet|UV light]].<ref name="UV" />

{{Clear|left}}

==Feeding==
[[File:Scaridae - Bolbometopon muricatum.jpg|thumb|The strong beak of ''[[Bolbometopon muricatum]]'' is suited to 'excavating', grinding the sturdiest corals.]]
[[File:BuDIha.jpg|thumb|The beak of ''[[Calotomus japonicus]]'' is suited to 'browsing' on seagrass, macroalgae, and epilithic algae without touching the rocky substrate.]]
Most parrotfish species are [[herbivore]]s, feeding mainly on [[epilithic]] algae.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Bellwood|first=David R.|date=1994-07-14|title=A phylogenetic study of the parrotfish family Scaridae (Pisces: Labroidea), with a revision of genera|journal=Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement|language=en|volume=20|pages=1–86|doi=10.3853/j.0812-7387.20.1994.51|issn=0812-7387|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=Bellwood>{{cite journal | last1 = Bellwood | first1 = D.R. | last2 = Choat | first2 = J.H. | year = 1990 | title = A functional analysis of grazing in parrotfishes (family Scaridae): the ecological implications | journal = Environ Biol Fish | volume = 28 | issue = 1–4| pages = 189–214 | doi = 10.1007/BF00751035 | s2cid = 11262999 }}</ref><ref name=Bonaldo2018>Bonaldo, R.M. & R.D. Rotjan (2018). The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Parrotfishes as Coral Predators. ''in'' Hoey, A.S. & R.M. Bonaldo, eds. Biology of Parrotfishes. CRC Press. {{isbn|978-1482224016}}</ref> A wide range of other small organisms are sometimes eaten, including invertebrates ([[Sessility (motility)|sessile]] and [[benthic]] species, as well as [[zooplankton]]), bacteria and [[detritus]].<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Comeros-Raynal | first1 = Choat | last2 = Polidoro | first2 = Clements | last3 = Abesamis | first3 = Craig | last4 = Lazuardi | first4 = McIlwain | last5 = Muljadi | first5 = Myers | last6 = Nañola Jr | first6 = Pardede | last7 = Rocha | first7 = Russell | last8 = Sanciangco | first8 = Stockwell | last9 = Harwell | last10 = Carpenter | year = 2012 | title = The Likelihood of Extinction of Iconic and Dominant Herbivores and Detritivores of Coral Reefs: The Parrotfishes and Surgeonfishes | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 7 | issue = 7| page = e39825 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0039825 | pmid = 22808066 | pmc = 3394754 | bibcode = 2012PLoSO...739825C | doi-access = free }}</ref> A few mostly larger species such as the green humphead parrotfish (''Bolbometopon muricatum'') feed extensively on living [[Corallivore|coral]] ([[polyp (zoology)|polyp]]s).<ref name=EoF/><ref name=Bellwood/><ref name=Bonaldo2018/> None of these are exclusive [[corallivore]]s, but polyps can make up as much as half their diet<ref name=Bonaldo2018/> or even more in the green humphead parrotfish.<ref name=":2"/> Overall it has been estimated that fewer than one percent of parrotfish bites involve live corals and all except the green humphead parrotfish prefer algae-covered surfaces over live corals.<ref name=Bonaldo2018/> Nevertheless, when they do eat coral polyps, localized coral death can occur.<ref name=Bonaldo2018/> Their feeding activity is important for the production and distribution of coral sands in the reef [[biome]], and can prevent algal overgrowth of the reef structure. The teeth grow continuously, replacing material worn away by feeding.<ref name=Lieske/> Whether they feed on coral, rock or seagrasses, the substrate is ground up between the [[pharyngeal teeth]].<ref name=Bonaldo2018/><ref>{{cite book |title=Coral Reefs: Cities Under The Seas |last=Murphy |first=Richard C. |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-87850-138-0 |publisher=The Darwin Press, Inc.}}</ref> After they digest the edible portions from the rock, they excrete it as sand, helping create small islands and the sandy beaches. The humphead parrotfish can produce {{convert|90|kg|abbr=on}} of sand each year.<ref name=Thurman/> Or, on average (as there are so many variables i.e. size/species/location/depth etc.), almost {{convert|250|g|abbr=on|0}} per parrotfish per day.
While feeding, parrotfish must be cognizant of predation by one of their main predators, the [[lemon shark]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Bright|first=Michael|title=The private life of sharks : the truth behind the myth|year=2000|publisher=Stackpole Books|location=Mechanicsburg, PA|isbn=978-0-8117-2875-1}}</ref> On Caribbean coral reefs, parrotfish are important consumers of [[sponge]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Video-monitored predation by Caribbean reef fishes on an array of mangrove and reef sponges|journal = Marine Biology|date = 1996|pages = 117–123|volume = 126|doi = 10.1007/BF00571383|first1 = M|last1 = Dunlap|first2 = JR|last2 = Pawlik|s2cid = 84799900}}</ref> An indirect effect of parrotfish grazing on sponges is the protection of reef-building corals that would otherwise be overgrown by fast-growing sponge species.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|title = Chemical defenses and resource trade-offs structure sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs|journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|date = 2014|pmid = 24567392|pages = 4151–4156|volume = 111|issue = 11|doi = 10.1073/pnas.1321626111|first1 = T-L|last1 = Loh|first2 = JR|last2 = Pawlik |pmc=3964098|bibcode = 2014PNAS..111.4151L|doi-access = free}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|title = Indirect effects of overfishing on Caribbean reefs: sponges overgrow reef-building corals|last = Loh|first = TL|date = 2015|journal = PeerJ|doi = 10.7717/peerj.901|display-authors=etal|volume=3|pages=e901|pmid=25945305|pmc=4419544 | doi-access=free }}</ref>

Analysis of parrotfish feeding biology describes three functional groups: excavators, scrapers and browsers.<ref name=":2"/> Excavators have larger, stronger jaws that can gouge the substrate,<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|last1=Price|first1=Samantha A.|last2=Wainwright|first2=Peter C.|last3=Bellwood|first3=David R.|last4=Kazancioglu|first4=Erem|last5=Collar|first5=David C.|last6=Near|first6=Thomas J.|date=2010-10-01|title=Functional Innovations and Morphological Diversification in Parrotfish|journal=Evolution|volume=64|issue=10|pages=3057–3068|doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01036.x|pmid=20497217|s2cid=19070148|issn=1558-5646}}</ref> leaving visible scars on the surface.<ref name=":2" /> Scrapers have less powerful jaws that can but infrequently do leave visible scraping scars on the substrate.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Some of these may also feed on sand instead of hard surfaces.<ref name=":2" /> Browsers mainly feed on seagrasses and their [[epiphyte]]s.<ref name=":2" /> Mature excavating species include ''[[Bolbometopon muricatum]]'', ''[[Cetoscarus]]'', ''[[Chlorurus]]'' and ''[[Sparisoma viride]]''.<ref name=":2" /> These excavating species all feed as scrapers in early juvenile stages, but ''[[Hipposcarus]]'' and ''[[Scarus]]'', which also feed as scrapers in early juvenile stages, retain the scraping feeding mode as adults.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Browsing species are found in the genera ''[[Calotomus]]'', ''[[Cryptotomus]]'', ''[[Leptoscarus]]'', ''[[Nicholsina]]'' and ''Sparisoma''.<ref name=":2" /> Feeding modes reflect habitat preferences, with browsers chiefly living in the grassy seabed, and excavators and scrapers on coral reefs.<ref>Environmental Biology of Fishes 28: 189–214, 1990</ref><ref name=":2" />

Recently, the microphage feeding hypothesis challenged the prevailing paradigm of parrotfish as algal consumers by proposing that:

{{Blockquote|text=Most parrotfishes are microphages that target cyanobacteria and other protein-rich autotrophic microorganisms that live on (epilithic) or within (endolithic) calcareous substrata, are epiphytic on algae or seagrasses, or endosymbiotic within sessile invertebrates.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Clements|first1=Kendall D.|last2=German|first2=Donovan P.|last3=Piché|first3=Jacinthe|last4=Tribollet|first4=Aline|last5=Choat|first5=John Howard|date=November 2016|title=Integrating ecological roles and trophic diversification on coral reefs: multiple lines of evidence identify parrotfishes as microphages|journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society|doi=10.1111/bij.12914}}</ref>}}

Microscopy and molecular barcoding of coral reef substrate bitten by scraping and excavating parrotfish suggest that coral reef cyanobacteria from the order Nostocales are important in the feeding of these parrotfish.<ref>Georgina M Nicholson, Kendall D Clements, Micro-photoautotroph predation as a driver for trophic niche specialization in 12 syntopic Indo-Pacific parrotfish species, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 139, Issue 2, June 2023, Pages 91–114, https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blad005</ref> Additional microscopy and molecular barcoding research indicates that some parrotfish may ingest microscopic biota associated with endolithic sponges.<ref>Nicholson, G.M., Clements, K.D. A role for encrusting, endolithic sponges in the feeding of the parrotfish Scarus rubroviolaceus? Evidence of further trophic diversification in Indo-Pacific Scarini. Coral Reefs (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02482-z</ref>

==Life cycle==
[[File:Papageifische im Roten Meer..DSCF0262BE.jpg|thumb|Terminal phase [[rusty parrotfish]] (''Scarus ferrugineus'') fighting.]]
Most tropical species form large schools when feeding and these are often grouped by size. Harems of several females presided over by a single male are normal in most species, with the males vigorously defending their position from any challenge.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
As pelagic spawners, parrotfish release many tiny, buoyant eggs into the water, which become part of the [[plankton]]. The eggs float freely, settling into the coral until hatching.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}

=== Sex change ===
[[File:Cetoscarus bicolor by Jacek Madejski.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Cetoscarus bicolor|bicolor parrotfish]] (''Cetoscarus bicolor'') was described by [[Eduard Rüppell]] in 1829. In 1835, he mistakenly described the terminal phase, featured on this photo, as a separate species, ''C. pulchellus'']]

The development of parrotfishes is complex and accompanied by a series of changes in sex and colour ([[polychromatism]]). Most species are [[sequential hermaphrodites]], starting as females (known as the initial phase) and then changing to males (the terminal phase). In many species, for example the [[stoplight parrotfish]] (''Sparisoma viride''), a number of individuals develop directly to males (i.e., they do not start as females). These directly developing males usually most resemble the initial phase, and often display a different mating strategy than the terminal phase males of the same species.<ref name=Bester2009>Bester, C. ''[http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Sparrotfish/SParrotfish.html Stoplight parrotfish.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120170504/https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/SParrotfish/SParrotfish.html |date=20 January 2016 }}'' Florida Museum of Natural History, Ichthyology Department. Accessed 15-12-2009</ref> A few species such as the [[Mediterranean parrotfish]] (''S. cretense'') are secondary [[gonochorists]]. This means that some females do not change sex (they remain females throughout their lives), the ones that do change from female to male do it while still immature (reproductively functioning females do not change to males) and there are no males with female-like colors (the initial phase males in other parrotfish).<ref name=Afonsoa/><ref name=Girolamo1999>{{cite journal | last1 = de Girolamo | first1 = Scaggiante | last2 = Rasotto | year = 1999 | title = Social organization and sexual pattern in the Mediterranean parrotfish Sparisoma cretense (Teleostei: Scaridae) | journal = Marine Biology | volume = 135 | issue = 2| pages = 353–360 | doi = 10.1007/s002270050634 | s2cid = 85428235 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Sadovy | last2 = Shapiro | year = 1987 | title = Criteria for the diagnosis of hermaphroditism in fishes | journal = Copeia | volume = 1987 | issue = 1| pages = 136–156 | doi = 10.2307/1446046 | jstor = 1446046 }}</ref> The [[marbled parrotfish]] (''Leptoscarus vaigiensis'') is the only species of parrotfish known not to change sex.<ref name=Lieske/> In most species, the initial phase is dull red, brown, or grey, while the terminal phase is vividly green or blue with bright pink, orange or yellow patches.<ref name=Lieske/><ref name=Randall2007/> In a smaller number of species the phases are similar,<ref name=Lieske/><ref name=Randall2007/> and in the Mediterranean parrotfish the adult female is brightly colored, while the adult male is gray.<ref name=Debelius1997>{{cite book | author=Debelius, H. | year=1997 | title=Mediterranean and Atlantic Fish Guide: From Spain to Turkey - From Norway to South Africa | publisher=ConchBooks | page=221 | isbn=978-3925919541 }}</ref> In most species, juveniles have a different color pattern from adults. Juveniles of some tropical species can alter their color temporarily to [[Mimicry|mimic]] other species.<ref>Cardwell JR1, Liley NR.Gen Comp Endocrinol. 1991 Jan;81(1):7-20</ref> Where the sexes and ages differ, the remarkably different phases often were first described as separate species.<ref name=Randall2007/> As a consequence early scientists recognized more than 350 parrotfish species, which is almost four times the actual number.<ref name=Bester2009/>

{{multiple image
| total_width       = 440
| image1            = Scarus psittacus, Kahaluu-Keauhou, HI 96740, USA imported from iNaturalist photo 301406558 (cropped).jpg
| caption1          = Female ''[[Scarus psittacus]]'' (= initial phase)
| image2            = Scarus psittacus, Island of Hawai'i, Hawaii, USA imported from iNaturalist photo 63881409 (cropped).jpg
| caption2          = Male ''[[Scarus psittacus]]'' (= terminal phase)
}}

The sex change in parrotfishes is accompanied by changes in circulating steroids. Females have high levels of estradiol, moderate levels of T and undetectable levels of the major fish androgen 11-ketotestosterone. During the transition from initial to terminal coloration phases, concentrations of 11-ketotestosterone rise dramatically and estrogen levels decline. If a female is injected with 11-ketotestosterone, it will cause a precocious change in gonadal, gametic and behavioural sex.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

==Economic importance==
A commercial [[fishery]] exists for some of the larger species, particularly in the Indo-Pacific,<ref name=Lieske/> but also for a few others like the [[Mediterranean parrotfish]].<ref>{{cite journal | author=Cardigos, F. | year=2001 | title=Vejas | url=http://www.horta.uac.pt/projectos/marov/Media/Vejas.pdf | journal=Revista Mundo Submerso | volume=58 | issue=V | pages=48–51 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708074412/http://www.horta.uac.pt/projectos/marov/Media/Vejas.pdf | archive-date=8 July 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Protecting parrotfishes is proposed as a way of saving Caribbean coral reefs from being overgrown with seaweed<ref>[[Rebecca Morelle|Morelle, Rebecca]] (1 November 2007) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7069933.stm Parrotfish to aid reef repair]. BBC</ref> and sponges.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Despite their striking colors, their feeding behavior renders them highly unsuitable for most marine [[aquarium|aquaria]].<ref name=Lieske/>

A new study has discovered that the parrotfish is extremely important for the health of the [[Great Barrier Reef]]; it is the only one of thousands of reef fish species that regularly performs the task of scraping and cleaning inshore coral reefs.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Australian Geographic|url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/09/single-keystone-species-may-be-key-to-reef-health|title=Single species may be key to reef health|date= September 2014}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery style="text-align:center;" mode="packed">
File:Scarus globiceps mâle.jpg|''[[Scarus globiceps]]'' (male)
File:Parrotfish turquoisse.jpg|''[[Chlorurus microrhinos]]''
File:Bolbometopon muricatum.jpg|''[[Bolbometopon muricatum]]''
File:Viridescent Parrotfish - Calotomus viridescens.jpg|''[[Calotomus viridescens]]''
File:Cetoscarus ocellatus Great Barrier Reef.jpg|''[[Cetoscarus ocellatus]]''
File:Chlorurus sordidus by Jaroslaw Barski.jpg|''[[Chlorurus sordidus]]''
File:Hipposcarus longiceps.jpg|''[[Hipposcarus longiceps]]''
File:Queen parrotfish Scarus vetula (2442375123).jpg|''[[Scarus vetula]]''
File:Stoplight-parrotfish.jpg|''[[Sparisoma viride]]''
</gallery>

==Timeline of genera==
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  id:holocene   value:rgb(0.999,0.95,0.88)

BarData=
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PlotData=
 align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25
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 bar:periodtop
 from: -65.5   till:  -55.8    color:paleocene  text:[[Paleocene]]
 from: -55.8   till:  -33.9    color:eocene  text:[[Eocene]]
 from: -33.9   till:  -23.03    color:oligocene  text:[[Oligocene]]
 from: -23.03    till: -5.332    color:miocene    text:[[Miocene]]
 from: -5.332    till: -2.588    color:pliocene    text:[[Plio.]]
 from: -2.588    till: -0.0117   color:pleistocene    text:[[Pleist.]]
 from: -0.0117    till: 0    color:holocene    text:[[Holocene|H.]]

 bar:eratop
 from: -65.5   till:  -23.03    color:paleogene  text:[[Paleogene]]
 from: -23.03    till: -2.588    color:neogene    text:[[Neogene]]
 from: -2.588    till: 0   color:quaternary    text:[[Quaternary|Q.]]

PlotData=
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 color:oligocene bar:NAM1  from:	-33.9	till:	0	text:	[[Scarus]]

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 bar:period
 from: -65.5   till:  -55.8    color:paleocene  text:[[Paleocene]]
 from: -55.8   till:  -33.9    color:eocene  text:[[Eocene]]
 from: -33.9   till:  -23.03    color:oligocene  text:[[Oligocene]]
 from: -23.03    till: -5.332    color:miocene    text:[[Miocene]]
 from: -5.332    till: -2.588    color:pliocene    text:[[Plio.]]
 from: -2.588    till: -0.0117   color:pleistocene    text:[[Pleist.]]
 from: -0.0117    till: 0    color:holocene    text:[[Holocene|H.]]

 bar:era
 from: -65.5   till:  -23.03    color:paleogene  text:[[Paleogene]]
 from: -23.03    till: -2.588    color:neogene    text:[[Neogene]]
 from: -2.588    till: 0   color:quaternary    text:[[Quaternary|Q.]]

</timeline>

==References==
{{Reflist|35em|refs=
<ref name=Afonsoa>{{cite journal|title=Spatial patterns in reproductive traits of the temperate parrotfish ''Sparisoma cretense''|url=http://www.horta.uac.pt/ppl/tmorato/pdf/Afonso_etal_2008a.pdf|doi=10.1016/j.fishres.2007.09.029|year=2008|last1=Afonso|first1=Pedro|last2=Morato|first2=Telmo|last3=Santos|first3=Ricardo Serrão|journal=Fisheries Research|volume=90|issue=1–3|pages=92–99}}</ref>

<ref name=biochem>{{cite journal
|last=Videlier |first=H.
|author2=Geertjes, G.J. |author3= Videlier, J.J.
|year=1999
|title=Biochemical characteristics and antibiotic properties of the mucous envelope of the queen parrotfish
|journal=Journal of Fish Biology
|volume=54
|pages=1124–1127
|doi=10.1111/j.1095-8649.1999.tb00864.x
|issue=5}}</ref>

<ref name=EoF>{{cite book
|editor=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N.
|author1=Choat, J.H.  |author2=Bellwood, D.R.
 |name-list-style=amp |year=1998
|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes
|publisher= Academic Press
|location=San Diego
|pages= 209–211
|isbn= 978-0-12-547665-2}}</ref>

<ref name=j1>{{cite journal|author=Streelman, J. T., Alfaro, M. E.|display-authors=etal|year=2002|title=Evolutionary History of The Parrotfishes: Biogeography, Ecomorphology, and Comparative Diversity|journal=Evolution|volume=56|issue=5|pages=961–971|pmid=12093031|doi=10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb01408.x|s2cid=41840374|df=dmy-all|doi-access=free}}</ref>

<ref name=j2>{{cite journal|author=Bellwood, D. R., Hoey, A. S., Choat, J. H. |year=2003|title=Limited functional redundancy in high diversity systems: resilience and ecosystem function on coral reefs|journal= Ecology Letters |volume=6|issue=4|pages= 281–285|doi=10.1046/j.1461-0248.2003.00432.x}}</ref>

<ref name=j3>{{cite journal|author=Lokrantz, J., Nyström, Thyresson, M., M., C. Johansson|title=The non-linear relationship between body size and function in parrotfishes|doi=10.1007/s00338-008-0394-3|bibcode=2008CorRe..27..967L|year=2008|journal=Coral Reefs|volume=27|issue=4|pages=967–974|s2cid=37926874}}</ref>

<ref name=Lieske>Lieske, E., and Myers, R. (1999). ''Coral Reef Fishes.'' 2nd edition. Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|0-691-00481-1}}</ref>

<ref name=Thurman>{{cite book
|last1=Thurman |first1=H.V
|last2=Webber |first2=H.H.
|title=Marine Biology
|year=1984
|publisher=Charles E. Merrill Publishing
|pages=303–313
|chapter=Chapter 12, Benthos on the Continental Shelf
|chapter-url=http://www.geology.iupui.edu/academics/CLASSES/G130/reefs/MB.htm }} Accessed 2009-06-14.</ref>

<ref name =Westneat>{{cite journal|pmid=15955516|year=2005|last1=Westneat|first1=MW|last2=Alfaro|first2=ME|title=Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the reef fish family Labridae|volume=36|issue=2|pages=370–90|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2005.02.001|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution}}</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
* Hoey and Bonaldo. [https://books.google.com/books?id=pVNPDwAAQBAJ The Biology of Parrotfishes]
* Monod, Th., 1979. "Scaridae". pp.&nbsp;444–445. In J.C. Hureau and Th. Monod (eds.) ''Check-list of the fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and of the Mediterranean (CLOFNAM)''. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
* {{cite journal | last = Sepkoski | first = Jack | title = A compendium of fossil marine animal genera | journal = Bulletins of American Paleontology | volume = 363 | page = 560 | year = 2002 | url = https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10698872 | access-date = 2014-05-03}}
* {{cite journal | last = Smith | first = J.L.B.| title = The parrotfishes of the family Callyodontidae of the Western Indian Ocean | journal = Ichthyological Bulletin, Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University | volume = 1 | year = 1956 | hdl = 10962/d1018535}}
* {{cite journal | last = Smith | first = J.L.B.| title = The identity of Scarus gibbus Ruppell, 1828 and of other parrotfishes of the family Callyodontidae from the Red Sea and the Western Indian Ocean | journal = Ichthyological Bulletin, Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University | volume = 16 | year = 1959 | hdl = 10962/d1018777}}
* Bullock, A.E. and T. Monod, 1997. "Myologie céphalique de deux poissons perroquets (Teleostei: Scaridae)". ''Cybium'' 21(2):173–199.
* {{cite journal | last1 = Randall | first1 = John E.| last2 = Bruce| first2 = Robin W. | title = The parrotfishes of the subfamily Scarinae of the Western Indian Ocean with descriptions of three new species | journal = Ichthyological Bulletin|publisher=J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Rhodes University | volume = 47 | year = 1983 | hdl = 10962/d1019747}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Scaridae}}
*{{Cite web|title = parrotfish factsheet|url = http://waittinstitute.org/parrotfish/|access-date = 2015-06-08|publisher = Waitt Institute }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081014092442/http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/parrot-fish.html Parrot Fish Profile from National Geographic]
*[http://www.parrotfish.info/Parrot_Fish_Care.html Parrot Fish Care]
*[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=364 Parrotfish info] on Fishbase

{{Taxonbar|from=Q502220}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Labridae]]
[[Category:Marine fish]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque]]