Marbled parrotfish

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Marbled parrotfish
Leptoscarus vaigiensis males (avec la bande laterale blanche) et femelles.jpg
Males with a whitish line along their side, females without
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Labriformes
Family: Scaridae
Genus: Leptoscarus
Swainson, 1839
Species:
L. vaigiensis
Binomial name
Leptoscarus vaigiensis
(Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Synonyms [2]
  • Scarus vaigiensisQuoy & Gaimard, 1824
  • Scarus coeruleopunctatus Rüppell, 1835
  • Leptoscarus coeruleopunctatus (Rüppell, 1835)
  • Scarus naevius Valenciennes, 1840
  • Scarus auritusValenciennes, 1840
  • Scarichthys auritus(Valenciennes, 1840)
  • Scarus rubronotatusValenciennes, 1840
  • Scarus bottaeValenciennes, 1840
  • Calliodon chlorolepis Richardson, 1844

The marbled parrotfish (Leptoscarus vaigiensis), also known as the seagrass parrotfish, is a species of parrotfish, 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.

Contents

Description

Drawing by Francis Day Leptoscarus vaigiensis Day.png
Drawing by Francis Day

The marbled parrotfish is brown to green with darker mottling on the back fading to yellow or greenish ventrally. The males are marked with a pale longitudinal strip along their flanks and the head, body, dorsal fin and anal fin are marked with small blue spots. The females are mottled brown and white. [3] On the head the females have broad bands which radiate from the eyes. [4] This species has 9 spines and 10 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin has 3 spines and 9 soft rays and there are 13 rays in the pectoral fin. The distinctive narrow dental plates are fused into a parrot-like beak and are covered in numerous small teeth. [2] When its mouth is closed the upper jaw teeth are enclosed by the lower jaw. [3] This species can attain a maximum total length of 35 cm (14 in). [2]

Distribution

The marbled parrotfish has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution from the northern Red Sea south along the eastern coast of Africa to the Cape of Good Hope and eastwards through the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean to Easter Island. In the Pacific Ocean its range extends north to Japan and south to Rottnest Island off Western Australia and the Poor Knights Islands of New Zealand. [2] In the southeastern Atlantic this species is found in False Bay in the Western Cape, South Africa. [1] Its distribution is largely anti-equatorial (i.e., found in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, but rare or absent near the Equator). [5]

Habitat and biology

The marbled parrotfish lives in sheltered bays, harbours and lagoons among seagrass beds and algal-covered reefs. [6] It normally occurs in small groups. [2] It ranges in depth from 0–15 metres (0–49 ft). [7] Uniquely among parrotfish, females never change sex to males; [5] they are gonochoristic. Spawning occurs in shallow water over flat seagrass beds on the ebbing tide. As well as being gonochoristic, marbled parrotfish also show less sexual dimorphism than most other parrotfishes. Their diet consists of sea grass and algae. [2] The larvae of the marbled parrotfish are associated with drifting algae. [1]

Naming and taxonomy

The marbled parrotfish was first formally described as Scarus vaigiensis in 1824 by the French naval surgeons and naturalists Jean René Constant Quoy (1790–1869) and Joseph Paul Gaimard (1793-1858) in their book Voyage autour du monde. The type locality was given as Waigeo. [8] William John Swainson created the genus Leptoscarus in 1839 and L. viagiensis is the only species in this monospecific genus. [9]

Human usage

The marbled parrotfish is caught in local artisanal fisheries and it is normally marketed fresh. [1] In Queensland there is a limit of 5 marbled parrotfishes in a maximum bag of 20 coral reef fishes and they must be no less than 25 centimetres (9.8 in) long. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parrotfish</span> Clade of ray-finned 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.

<i>Sparisoma</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

Sparisoma is a genus of parrotfishes native to warmer parts of the Atlantic. FishBase recognizes 15 species in this genus, including S. rocha described from Trindade Island in 2010 and S. choati described from the East Atlantic in 2012. They are the most important grazers of algae in the Caribbean Sea, especially since sea urchins, especially Diadema, the other prominent consumers of algae, have been reduced in many places by a recent epidemic.

<i>Scarus</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

Scarus is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species, it is by far the largest parrotfish genus. 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).

<i>Calotomus</i> Genus of ray-finned fishes

Calotomus is a parrotfish genus from the Indo-Pacific, with a single species ranging into the warmer parts of the east Pacific. Compared to most of their relatives, their colours are relatively dull. Several species in this genus are associated with sea grass beds, but most can also be seen at reefs.

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

The rusty parrotfish is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish belonging to the family Scaridae. It is associated with reefs in the north western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streamlined spinefoot</span> Species of fish

The streamlined spinefoot, also known as the forktail rabbitfish, schooling rabbitfish or silver spinefoot, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a rabbitfish belonging to the family Siganidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<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>Kyphosus</i> Genus of fishes

Kyphosus is a genus of sea chubs native to the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the only genus in the subfamily Kyphosinae of the family Kyphosidae.

<i>Pentapodus</i> Genus of fishes

Pentapodus is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Nemipteridae, the threadfin breams. These fishes are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<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>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>Calotomus carolinus</i> Species of fish

Calotomus carolinus, commonly known as Carolines parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is also known as the starry-eye parrotfish, stareye parrotfish, bucktooth parrotfish, Christmas parrotfish or marbled parrotfish. Since the Calotomus carolinus is known across the Pacific, it also has its own name in many native languages for example, it is called a panuhunuhunu in the Hawaiian language.

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

Scarus quoyi, commonly known as Quoy's or greenblotch parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is native to the western Pacific Ocean, where it lives in coral reefs. The species can grow to a length of up to 40 cm.

<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 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 Persian 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>Kyphosus vaigiensis</i> Species of fish

Kyphosus vaigiensis, the brassy chub, brassy drummer, long-finned drummer, low-finned drummer, Northern silver drummer, Queensland drummer, Southern drummer, blue-bronze sea chub, brassy rudderfish, yellow seachub, large-tailed drummer, low-finned chub or long-finned rudderfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea chub from the family Kyphosidae. It is a largely herbivorous species which has a circumglobal distribution. Studies in the 21st Century appear to have shown that some other species in the genus Kyphosus are junior synonyms of this taxon.

<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.

<i>Pentapodus vitta</i> Species of fish

Pentapodus vitta , the Western whiptail, Western butterfish, black stripe butterfish, striped whiptail or Western threadfin bream, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Nemipteridae, the threadfin breams. This fish is found in the Eastern Indian Ocean.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Choat, J.H.; Clements, K.D.; Rocha, L.A.; Russell, B.; Myers, R.; Lazuardi, M.E.; Muljadi, A.; Pardede, S.; Rahardjo, P. (2012). "Leptoscarus vaigiensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T190756A17777316. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T190756A17777316.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Leptoscarus viagiensis". FishBase . December 2019 version.
  3. 1 2 "Marbled Parrotfish, Leptoscarus vaigiensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)". Australian Museum. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Marbled parrotfish". The State of Queensland. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  5. 1 2 Lieske, E., & R. Myers (1999). Coral Reef Fishes. 2nd edition. Princeton University Press. ISBN   0-691-00481-1
  6. ↑ Dianne J. Bray. "Leptoscarus vaigiensis". Fishes of Australia. Museums Victoria. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  7. ↑ "Marbled Parrotfish (Leptoscarus vaigiensis)". whatsthatfish.com. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  8. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Scarus vaigiensis". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  9. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Leptoscarus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 16 February 2020.

- 1824-1825

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