Parrotfish

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Parrotfishes are a group of marine species found in relatively shallow tropical and subtropical oceans around the world. With about 95 species, this group displays the richness of its largest species in the Indo-Pacific. They are found on coral reefs, rocky beaches and seagrass beds, and can play an important role in bioerosion.

Video Parrotfish

Description

Parrotfish are named for their teeth, which are different from other fish, including other labridges. Their numerous teeth are arranged in mosaics that are solid on the outer surface of their jaw bones, forming parrots like parrots that they rub algae from corals and other rocky substrates (which contribute to the bioerosion process).

Maximum size varies within families, with the majority of species reaching 30-50 cm (12-20 inches) in length. However, some species reach a length of more than 1 m (3 ft 3 in), and green humphead parrotfish can reach up to 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in). The smallest species is the bluelip parrotfish ( Cryptotomus roseus ), which has a maximum size of 13 cm (5.1 inches).

Maps Parrotfish

Mucus

Some species of parrotfish, including the queen parrotfish ( Scarus vetula ), emit a mucus cocoon, especially at night. Before going to sleep, some species secrete mucus from their mouths, forming a protective cocoon that envelops the fish, possibly hiding the scent of potential predators. This mucus envelope can also act as an early warning system, allowing parrotfish to escape when it detects predators such as moray eels interfering with the membrane. The skin itself is covered with other mucus substances that may have antioxidant properties assist in repairing body damage, or rejecting parasites, in addition to providing protection from UV rays.

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Giving Feeding

Most species of parrotfish are herbivores, mainly feeding on epileptic algae. Other small organisms are sometimes eaten, including invertebrates (sessile and benthic species, and zooplankton), bacteria and detritus. Some of the larger species, such as the green humphead parrotfish ( Bolbometopon muricatum ) feed extensively on corals (polyps). None of these coral feeders are exclusive coralivores, but can make up half of their diets and even more in the green shark parrotfish. Overall it has been estimated that less than one percent of parrotfish bites involve live corals and all but green humphead parrotfish prefer algae covered surfaces above live corals. However, when they bite the living corals it can cause local coral deaths. Their feeding activities are important for the production and distribution of reef sand in coral reef biomes, and can prevent overgrowth of algae from reef structures. Teeth grow continuously, replacing obsolete materials by feeding. Their pharyngeal teeth grind the corals and stir the fish during meals. After they digest the edible part of the rock, they remove it as sand, helping create small islands and sandy beaches. Humphead parrotfish can produce 90 kg (200 pounds) of sand each year. Or, very average (because there are so many variables ie size/species/location/depth etc.), almost 250 g (9 oz) per parrotfish per day. At meal times, parrotfish must be aware of predation by one of their main predators, the lemon shark. In Caribbean coral reefs, parrotfish are an important consumer of sponges. The indirect effects of parrotfish grazing on the sponge are the reef-building reefs that otherwise would be sprouted by fast-growing sponge species.

The biological analysis of eating parrotfish depicts three functional groups: excavators, scrapers and browsers. The excavator has a bigger and stronger jaw that digs the substrate, leaving visible scars - even gouges - on the surface. Scrapers have less powerful jaws that can rarely leave scratch marks visible on the substrate. Some may also eat sand rather than hard surfaces. Browsers mainly feed on seagrass and their epiphytes. Species of adult excavation include Bolbometopon muricatum , Cetoscarus , Chlorurus and Sparisoma viride . Bolbometopon , Cetoscarus and Chlorurus all ate as scrapers in the early stages of teenagers, but Hipposcarus and Scarus , which also feeds as scrapers in the early teens stage, maintaining the friction eating mode as an adult. Browsing species include Calotomus, Cryptotomus, Leptoscarus, Nicholsina and Sparisoma. This feeding mode reflects habitat preference, since browsers mainly live on grassy seafloor, and excavators and scrapers are mainly living on coral reefs.

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Life cycle

The development of the parrot fish is complex and is accompanied by a series of discoloration (polychromatism). Most species are sequential hermaphrodites, starting as women (known as the initial phase) and then transforming into men (terminal phase). In many species, such as the stoplight parrot ( Sparisoma viride ), some individuals develop directly into men (ie, they do not start as women). This directly develops males usually most closely resembles the early phases, and often displays different mating strategies of male terminal phases of the same species. Some species such as the Mediterranean parrotfish ( S. cretense ) are secondary gonochorists. This means that some women do not change sex (they remain females throughout their lives), people who change from female to male do it while still immature (reproductive female functioning unchanged to male) and no male -laki with female-like color (early male phase in other parrotfish). The gnarled parrot fish ( Leptoscarus vaigiensis ) is the only known parrotfish species that does not change the sex. In most species, the initial phase is red, brown, or gray, while the terminal phase is green or blue with bright pink or yellow spots. Very different initial terminals and phases were first described as separate species in some cases, but in some species, this phase is similar.

In most species of parrotfish, adolescents have different color patterns than adults. Teenagers from some tropical species can change their color for a while to imitate other species.

Tropical fish most tropical species form large schools when eating and these are often grouped by size. Harems of females led by single men are normal in most species, with males vigorously defending their positions from any challenge.

As a pelawic runner, parrotfish releases many small eggs that float into the water, which becomes part of the plankton. The eggs float freely, settling on the reef until they hatch.

Sex changes in parrotfishes are accompanied by changes in steroid circulation. Women had high levels of estradiol, moderate T levels and undetectable levels of the major androgen of 11-ketotestosterone fish. During the transition from the initial color phase to the terminal phase, the 11-ketotestosterone concentration increases dramatically and estrogen levels decrease. If a woman is injected with 11-ketotestosterone, it will cause rapid changes in gonad sex, gametes and behavior.

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Economic interests

Commercial fisheries exist for some of the larger tropical species, especially in the Indo-Pacific. Protecting parrotfish is proposed as a way of saving Caribbean coral reefs from overgrown with seaweed and sponges. Despite their striking colors, their eating behavior makes them very unsuitable for most marine aquariums.

A new study found that parrotfish are very important to the health of the Great Barrier Reef, this is the only one of thousands of reef fish species that regularly perform the task of scavenging and clearing coral reefs on the coast.



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Taxonomy

Traditionally, parrotfish has been considered a family-level taxon, Scaridae. Although phylogenetic and evolutionary analysis of parrotfish is ongoing, they are now accepted to be clades in the Cheilini tribe, and are now commonly referred to as the scarine labyrinth (Scarinae subfamily, Labridae family). Some authorities prefer to keep parrotfishes as family-level taxon, so Labridae does not become monophyletic (except divided into several families).

Source of the article : Wikipedia