Ember parrotfish

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Ember parrotfish
Ember parrotfish, Scarus rubroviolaceus - terminal phase (6073675545).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Labriformes
Family: Scaridae
Genus: Scarus
Species:
S. rubroviolaceus
Binomial name
Scarus rubroviolaceus
Bleeker, 1847 [2]
Synonyms [3]
  • Callyodon rubroviolaceus(Bleeker, 1847)
  • Scarops rubroviolaceus(Bleeker, 1847)
  • Pseudoscarus jordani Jenkins, 1901
  • Callyodon jordani(Jenkins, 1901)
  • Scarops jordani(Jenkins, 1901)
  • Scarus jordani(Jenkins, 1901)
  • Callyodon ruberrimus Jordan & Seale, 1906
  • Callyodon africanus J.L.B. Smith, 1955
  • Margaritodon africanus(J.L.B. Smith, 1955)

The ember parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus) is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is also known as the bicolor parrotfish [3] and the redlip parrotfish. [1]

Contents

Distribution

The ember parrotfish is widespread and abundant. It has been found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with its range including Japan, eastern Africa, and the Hawaiian islands. [1]

Description

The species is sexually dimorphic, with the males possessing a bright, greenish-blue color while the females are a duller brown. [4]

Habitat and behavior

Diet includes aquatic plants and benthic algae, which scrape off rocks using their beak. Ember Parrotfish shows sequential hermaphroditism meaning it changes its sex at some point in its life. Juvenile Ember Parrotfish has undifferentiated sex. As it grows, at a body length of about 32 cm at about 2.6 years old, it matures into a female who is reddish brown. It remains as a female for quite some time and when it grows further, at a body length of 37cm it is about 13 years old, it changes its sex into a male. However, some remain female throughout their lives. The Ember Parrotfish also lives up to 20 years. [5]

Importance to humans

The ember parrotfish is commercially fished, and can be kept in saltwater aquariums. [3]

Etymology

The genus name, Scarus, comes from the Greek word "skaros", meaning "parrotfish". [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parrotfish</span> Family of fishes

Parrotfish are a group of fish species traditionally regarded as a family (Scaridae), but now often treated as a subfamily (Scarinae) or tribe (Scarini) of the wrasses (Labridae). With roughly 95 species, this group's largest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific. They are found in coral reefs, rocky coasts, and seagrass beds, and can play a significant role in bioerosion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marbled parrotfish</span> Species of fish

The marbled parrotfish, also known as the seagrass parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the family Scaridae and is the only known member of the genus Leptoscarus. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution and is also found in the southeastern Atlantic Ocean. It is a coastal species found in beds of sea grass and seaweed.

<i>Scarus</i> Genus of fishes

Scarus is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species, it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, but a small number of species are found in the warmer parts of the eastern Pacific and the western Atlantic, with a single species, Scarus hoefleri in the eastern Atlantic. Most are very colourful, and have strikingly different initial and terminal phases. Adults of most species reach maximum lengths of between 30 and 50 cm (12–20 in), but the rainbow parrotfish can grow to lengths of 1.2 m (3.9 ft).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess parrotfish</span> Species of fish

The princess parrotfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is typically 20 to 25 centimetres long, found in the Caribbean, South Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Its behavior, similar to other parrotfishes, is to swim about the reef and sandy patches during the day, at depths between 3 and 25 metres, scraping algae on which it feeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen parrotfish</span> Colorful species of fish in Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea

The queen parrotfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is found on reefs in the tropical West Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Other common names include blownose, blue chub, blue parrotfish, blueman, joblin crow parrot, moontail, okra peji and slimy head. The young males and adult female queen parrotfish are a reddish-brown color, and quite different in appearance from the bluish-green color of the final phase male. This is a common species throughout its range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as "least concern".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue parrotfish</span> Species of fish

The blue parrotfish is a member of the parrotfish genus Scarus. It is found on coral reefs in shallow water in the tropical and subtropical parts of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. They usually forage in a group of 500 individuals for spawning and deterring predators while feeding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knobsnout parrotfish</span> Species of fish

The knobsnout parrotfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae which is famous for its characteristic blue color. It lives in reefs and coral reefs. It grows to a maximum length of about 90 cm. Its body is a strong blue color, and may have reddish-brown, white, or black spots on it. Adult fish have whitish spots on their cheeks and a lump on their foreheads. Young fish have no spots on their cheeks or lumps on their foreheads. It is found in the northwestern Pacific Ocean off Japan and Taiwan.

<i>Chlorurus sordidus</i> Species of fish

Chlorurus sordidus, known commonly as the daisy parrotfish or bullethead parrotfish, is a species of marine fish in the family Scaridae.

<i>Scarus frenatus</i> Species of fish

Scarus frenatus is a species of parrotfish. Common names include bridled parrotfish, sixband or six-banded parrotfish or vermiculate parrotfish.

<i>Scarus ghobban</i> Species of fish

Scarus ghobban, also known as the blue-barred parrotfish, blue trim parrotfish, cream parrotfish, globe-headed parrotfish, green blotched parrotfish, yellow scale parrotfish, and bluechin parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the family Scaridae.

<i>Scarus altipinnis</i> Species of fish

Scarus altipinnis, the filament-finned parrotfish, high-fin parrotfish or mini-fin parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the family Scaridae. It occurs in the tropical and subtropical Western Pacific Ocean.

<i>Scarus tricolor</i> Species of fish

Scarus tricolor, also known as the tri-colour parrotfish or three-coloured parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

<i>Scarus scaber</i> Species of fish

Scarus scaber, the five-saddle parrotfish or dusky-capped parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is native to Indian Ocean.

<i>Chlorurus microrhinos</i> Species of fish

Chlorurus microrhinos, the blunt-head parrotfish or steephead parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the family Scaridae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<i>Scarus prasiognathos</i> Species of fish

Scarus prasiognathos, the Singapore parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is native to the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans, where it lives in coral reefs.

<i>Scarus globiceps</i> Species of fish

Scarus globiceps, commonly known as the globehead, violet-lined, speckled or roundhead parrotfish, is a marine fish native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where it lives in coral reefs.

<i>Scarus fuscopurpureus</i> Species of fish

Scarus fuscopurpureus, common name purple-brown parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the class Actinopterygii. It is a parrotfish in the family Scaridae. It occurs in the western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the gulf of Aden and the Persain Gulf. Countries in which boarder these waters include, but are not limited to Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.

<i>Chlorurus gibbus</i> Species of fish

Chlorurus gibbus, the heavybeak parrotfish, gibbus parrotfish or Red Sea steephead parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the family Scaridae. It is found in the Red Sea.

<i>Scarus psittacus</i> Species of fish

Scarus psittacus, the common parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. Other common names for this species include the palenose parrotfish, Batavian parrotfish and the rosy-cheek parrotfish. It has a wide distribution in the Indo-Pacific region where it is associated with coral reefs. This species is utilised as food. It is the type species of the genus Scarus.

<i>Scarus zelindae</i> Species of fish

Scarus zelindae is a species of fish of the Scaridae family in the order Perciformes. This species of Parrotfish can be brown, blue, green, yellow, and purple and can change their colors several times throughout their lifetime. They live for about 5–7 years and can be found in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, primarily in Brazilian waters.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Choat, J.H.; Myers, R.; Clements, K.D.; Russell, B.; Rocha, L.A.; Lazuardi, M.E.; Muljadi, A.; Pardede, S.; Rahardjo, P. (2012). "Scarus rubroviolaceus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T190731A17781477. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T190731A17781477.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. "Scarus rubroviolaceus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. 27 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2006). "Scarus rubroviolaceus" in FishBase. December 2006 version.
  4. "Redlip Parrotfish, Scarus rubroviolaceus".
  5. Deshpande, Sujata, and Karan Deshpande. “Life Under Water: Ember Parrotfish.” Resonance, vol. 27, no. 8, 2022, pp. 1469–1469, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-022-1440-0.