Parrotfish Characteristics

The flamboyant, algae-eating, sand-pooping, Parrotfish is the most important fish on Caribbean coral reefs. Parrotfishes (family Scaridae) are primarily herbivorous reef fishes that use their fused beak-like jaws to remove algae and detritus from the substratum. These fishes play a critical functional role in coral reefs because their intense herbivory activity helps in avoiding coral overgrowth by algae (Hughes, 1994; Bellwood et al., 2004). Additionally, the parrotfishes are an exceptional family with unique characteristics which this paper will describe.

Characteristics of the Scaridae Family

The Scaridae family, are widely known as parrotfishes because of their beak-like jaws, and their bright and colorful coloration. This family includes

In the pharyngeal apparatus, the teeth are arranged in rows and are highly specialized to grind, crop, and crush food as it is processed. Parrotfishes have large, cycloid scales , usually with 22-24 scales along the lateral line. The dorsal fin has nine spines and ten soft rays. The anal fin has three spines and nine soft rays, and the pelvic fins one spine and five soft rays. (Choat and Bellwood, 1998; Nelson, 1994)

Some parrotfishes have a complex socio-sexual (socially influenced sexual change) system punctuated by three phases, and each phase change results in a different colour pattern. For instance, juveniles tend to have a drab mixture of browns, greys and blacks, however, as they mature a distinct coloration emerges with the addition of red tones. A third set of colours is added by males and by females that have recently undergone sex change into males. As these males mature, they exhibit bright, intricate patterns of reds, greens, and

Bump-headed parrotfishes, which consume significant amounts of live coral, are one exception. The key to the success of parrotfishes is in their ability to take up plant material, detritus and calcareous sediment and process it through the action of the pharyngeal jaw. This chewing mechanism grinds ingested material into a fine paste and breaks down algal cells, releasing the cellular material for digestion. Like acanthurids, parrotfishes form large feeding groups, sometimes with multiple species, to overwhelm territorial fishes and deter