| |
|
|
| |
| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
|
| COMMON
NAME: |
parrotfish |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Osteichthyes |
| ORDER: |
Perciformes |
| FAMILY: |
Scaridae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
No
data |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| DESCRIPTION: |
Parrotfish
have thick, heavy bodies and large scales. They
are found in tropical waters throughout the world
and appear in a wide variety of colors, which may
change depending on their sex, status, or maturity. |
|
| SIZE: |
Rainbow
parrotfish (Scarus guacamaia) may grow up
to 1.2 m (4 ft.) in length |
|
|
|
|
|
| INCUBATION: |
Oviparous
(egg laying), pelagic spawners |
|
|
|
|
|
| RANGE: |
Tropical
waters throughout the world |
|
|
|
| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
|
| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| 1. |
The
name "parrotfish" is derived from their
fused teeth, which bear close resemblance to a bird's
beak. Their teeth are specialized for scraping algae
and invertebrates from coral and rocks. Another
set of teeth (pharyngeal teeth), are located on
the floor and roof of their throats. The pharyngeal
teeth crush the ingested materials. |
|
|
| 2. |
Parrotfish are generally social and may be found
in schools of around 40 individuals. Sometimes an
adult breeding male called the supermale leads these
schools. Supermales are typically sex-reversed females
and are strongly territorial and habitually drive
other males away from their areas. |
|
|
| 3. |
Schools of parrotfish graze over a reef much like
a herd of cattle over a grassy field. Large amounts
of calcareous materials are consumed and excreted
by schools of parrotfish. In just one year, one
parrotfish may convert a ton of coral into sand. |
|
|
| 4. |
Some
species of parrotfish secrete a mucus cocoon around
them before they rest, protecting them from predators
that hunt by smell (morays) or by touch (crustaceans).
It takes a parrotfish half an hour to secrete the
cocoon and almost as long to get out. Parrotfish
do not make these cocoons every night, and it is
unknown why a parrotfish chooses a particular night
to sleep in a cocoon. |
|
|
| 5. |
For
more information about bony fishes, explore the
bony
fishes info book. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Other
types of fishes, crustaceans, and occasionally moray
eels prey upon parrotfish. Humans may impact them
indirectly through destruction of the reefs where
they dwell, but none are considered endangered or
threatened. In fact, they are found in great numbers
throughout many tropical reefs. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| Andrews,
A., Parham, D. and W. Street. Bony Fishes.
SeaWorld Education Department Publication. San Diego,
SeaWorld, Inc. 1995. |
|
|
Burgess, W. and H.R. Axelrod. Pacific Marine
Fishes. Book 1. Neptune City, NJ. T.F.H. Publications,
Inc. Ltd. 1971. |
|
|
http://www.coralreefnetwork.com/marlife/fishes/fishes.htm
|
|
| http://www.fishbase.org/ |
|
|
|
|
|
