# Parrotfish
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{{Short description|Clade of ray-finned fishes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Redirect2|Scarinae|Scarini|the group of leafhoppers formerly known by these names|Gyponini}}
{{Distinguish|Parrot cichlid (disambiguation){{!}}parrot cichlid}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Miocene|present}}
| image = Scarus frenatus by Ewa Barska.jpg
| image_caption = ''[Scarus frenatus](/source/Scarus_frenatus)''
| taxon = Scarinae
| authority = [Rafinesque](/source/Constantine_Samuel_Rafinesque), 1810
| subdivision_ranks = Genera
| subdivision = * ''[Bolbometopon](/source/Bolbometopon)''
* ''[Calotomus](/source/Calotomus)''
* ''[Cetoscarus](/source/Cetoscarus)''
* ''[Chlorurus](/source/Chlorurus)''
* ''[Cryptotomus](/source/Cryptotomus)''
* ''[Hipposcarus](/source/Hipposcarus)''
* ''[Leptoscarus](/source/Leptoscarus)''
* ''[Nicholsina](/source/Nicholsina)''
* ''[Scarus](/source/Scarus)''
* ''[Sparisoma](/source/Sparisoma)''
}}
'''Parrotfish''' (named because their mouths resemble a parrot's beak) are a [clade](/source/clade) of fish placed in the [subfamily](/source/subfamily) '''Scarinae''' of the [wrasse](/source/wrasse) family (Labridae).[{{Cite web |last1=Fricke |first1=R. |last2=Eschmeyer |first2=W. N. |last3=Van der Laan |first3=R. |date=2025 |title=ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION |url=https://www.calacademy.org/eschmeyers-catalog-of-fishes-classification |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=California Academy of Sciences |language=en}}][{{Cite journal |last1=Brownstein |first1=Chase D. |last2=Harrington |first2=Richard C. |last3=Alencar |first3=Laura R. V. |last4=Bellwood |first4=David R. |last5=Choat |first5=John H. |last6=Rocha |first6=Luiz A. |last7=Wainwright |first7=Peter C. |last8=Tavera |first8=Jose |last9=Burress |first9=Edward D. |last10=Muñoz |first10=Martha M. |last11=Cowman |first11=Peter F. |last12=Near |first12=Thomas J. |date=2025-05-07 |title=Phylogenomics establishes an Early Miocene reconstruction of reef vertebrate diversity |journal=Science Advances |volume=11 |issue=19 |article-number=eadu6149 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.adu6149 |pmc=12057688 |pmid=40333985 |bibcode=2025SciA...11.6149B }}] Historically considered as the family '''Scaridae''', [genetic studies](/source/genetic_studies) found them to be deeply nested within the wrasses, and they are now treated as a subfamily.[ With roughly 95 species, the group's largest [species richness](/source/species_richness) is in the [Indo-Pacific](/source/Indo-Pacific). They are [herbivore](/source/herbivore)s or [corallivore](/source/corallivore)s inhabiting [coral reef](/source/coral_reef)s, rocky coasts, and [seagrass](/source/seagrass) beds, and can play a significant role in [bioerosion](/source/bioerosion)][ as some species eat away at the corals. This activity is also often attributed to enriching the sand content on the surrounding ocean floor.{{Not in body|date=May 2026}}
==Taxonomy==
Traditionally, the parrotfishes have been considered to be a [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) level [taxon](/source/taxon), Scaridae. Although [phylogenetic](/source/phylogenetic) and evolutionary analyses of parrotfish are ongoing, they are now widely accepted to form a clade (a fundamental grouping in [evolutionary biology](/source/evolutionary_biology) consisting of a single [common ancestor](/source/common_ancestor) and ''all'' of its descendants) of wrasses closely related to the [tribe](/source/Tribe_(biology)) Cheilini, and are now commonly referred to as "scarine labrids" (of the subfamily Scarinae/tribe Scarini, family [Labridae](/source/Labridae)).][{{Cite journal |last1=Bellwood |first1=David R. |last2=Schultz |first2=Ortwin |last3=Siqueira |first3=Alexandre C. |last4=Cowman |first4=Peter F. |date=2019 |title=A review of the fossil record of the Labridae |journal=Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien. Serie a für Mineralogie und Petrographie, Geologie und Paläontologie, Anthropologie und Prähistorie |volume=121 |pages=125–194 |jstor=26595690 |issn=0255-0091}}]
Some authorities have preferred to maintain the parrotfishes as a family-level taxon,{{Relevance inline|date=May 2026|reason=2007 source is still authoritative?}}[Randall, J. E. (2007). ''Reef and Shore Fishes of the Hawaiian Islands.'' {{ISBN|978-1-929054-03-9}}] resulting in Labridae not being [monophyletic](/source/monophyletic) (unless split into several families).
Some sources retain the Scaridae as a family, placing it alongside the [wrasse](/source/wrasse)s of the family Labridae and the weed whitings [Odacidae](/source/Odacidae) in the [order](/source/Order_(biology)) [Labriformes](/source/Labriformes), part of the [Percomorpha](/source/Percomorpha). They also do not support the division of the Scaridae into two subfamilies.[{{cite book |author1=J. S. Nelson |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |title=Fishes of the World |author2=T. C. Grande |author3=M. V. H. Wilson |publisher=Wiley |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-118-34233-6 |edition=5th |pages=429–430}}] However, such a placement is [paraphyletic](/source/Paraphyly) as they are consistently recovered close to the wrasse of the subfamily [Cheilininae](/source/Cheilininae),[{{cite journal |author1=Thomas J. Near|author2=Chase D. Brownstein|author3=Christine E. Thacker|author4=Peter C. Wainwright
|title=Phylogenetic Taxonomy of Wrasses and Parrotfishes (Labridae)|date=16 October 2025
|journal=Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History|volume=66|issue=2|pages=263–338|doi=10.3374/014.066.0201}}]{{Additional citation needed|date=February 2026|reason=Consistency needs multiple examples as proof}} so they are retained with the wrasses by ''[Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes](/source/Eschmeyer's_Catalog_of_Fishes)''.[{{Cof family|family=Scarinae|access-date=24 August 2025}}][{{Cite journal |last1=Viviani |first1=Jérémie |last2=LeBlanc |first2=Aaron |last3=Rurua |first3=Vahine |last4=Mou |first4=Teiva |last5=Liao |first5=Vetea |last6=Lecchini |first6=David |last7=Galzin |first7=René |last8=Viriot |first8=Laurent |date=2022 |title=Plicidentine in the oral fangs of parrotfish (Scarinae, Labriformes) |journal=Journal of Anatomy |language=en |volume=241 |issue=3 |pages=601–615 |doi=10.1111/joa.13673 |issn=1469-7580 |pmc=9358764 |pmid=35506616}}][Ostéologie céphalique de deux poissons perroquets (Scaridae: Teleostei) TH Monod, JC Hureau, AE Bullock - Cybium, 1994 - Société française d'ichtyologie] which is distinct from other fish, including other labrids; their numerous teeth are arranged in a tightly packed mosaic on the external surface of their jaw bones, forming a [parrot](/source/parrot)-like [beak](/source/beak) with which they rasp [algae](/source/algae) from coral and other rocky [substrate](/source/Substrate_(biology))s[ (which contributes to the process of [bioerosion](/source/bioerosion)).
Maximum sizes vary within the group, with the majority of species reaching {{convert|30|-|50|cm|abbr=on}} in length. However, a few species reach lengths in excess of {{convert|1|m|abbr=on}}, with the [green humphead parrotfish](/source/green_humphead_parrotfish) can reach up to {{convert|1.3|m|abbr=on}} [TL](/source/Total_length) (though is commonly {{convert|0.7|m|abbr=on}} [SL](/source/Standard_Length)).][{{FishBase |genus=Bolbometopon |species=muricatum |month=December |year=2009}}] The smallest species is the bluelip parrotfish (''[Cryptotomus roseus](/source/Cryptotomus_roseus)''), which has a maximum size of {{convert|13|cm|abbr=on}}.[{{FishBase |genus=Cryptotomus |species=roseus |month=September |year=2015}}][Shah, A.K. (2016). {{url|https://sta.uwi.edu/fst/lifesciences/sites/default/files/lifesciences/documents/ogatt/Cryptotomus_roseus - Slender Parrotfish.pdf|Cryptotomus roseus (Slender Parrotfish)}}. The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago. The University of the West Indies. Accessed 11 March 2018.]
===Protective mucus===
[[File:Scarus zelindae.jpg|thumb|''[Scarus zelindae](/source/Scarus_zelindae)'' in its mucus cocoon|left]]
Some parrotfish species, such as the queen parrotfish (''[Scarus vetula](/source/Scarus_vetula)''), secrete a mucus cocoon, particularly at night;[Cerny-Chipman, E. "[http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1133&context=isp_collection Distribution of Ultraviolet-Absorbing Sunscreen Compounds Across the Body Surface of Two Species of Scaridae.]" ''[http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/ DigitalCollections@SIT]'' 2007. Accessed 2009-06-21.] prior to resting, some species extrude mucus from their mouths, forming a protective cocoon that envelops the fish, presumably hiding its [scent](/source/scent) from potential predators.[Langerhans, R.B. "[http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/Randall.B.Langerhans-1/Langerhans%202006.pdf Evolutionary consequences of predation: avoidance, escape, reproduction, and diversification.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614031545/http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/Randall.B.Langerhans-1/Langerhans%202006.pdf |date=14 June 2011 }}" pp. 177–220 in Elewa, A.M.T. ed. Predation in organisms: a distinct phenomenon. Heidelberg, Germany, Springer-Verlag. 2007. Accessed 2009-06-21.][ This mucus envelope may also act as an [early warning system](/source/early_warning_system), allowing the parrotfish to flee when it detects predators such as [moray eel](/source/moray_eel)s disturbing the membrane.][
The skin itself is covered in another mucous substance which may have [antioxidant](/source/antioxidant) properties helpful in repairing bodily damage,][{{Cite journal|last=Bellwood|first=David R.|date=1994-07-14|title=A phylogenetic study of the parrotfish family Scaridae (Pisces: Labroidea), with a revision of genera|journal=Records of the Australian Museum, Supplement|language=en|volume=20|pages=1–86|doi=10.3853/j.0812-7387.20.1994.51|issn=0812-7387|doi-access=free}}][{{cite journal | last1 = Bellwood | first1 = D.R. | last2 = Choat | first2 = J.H. | year = 1990 | title = A functional analysis of grazing in parrotfishes (family Scaridae): the ecological implications | journal = Environ Biol Fish | volume = 28 | issue = 1–4| pages = 189–214 | doi = 10.1007/BF00751035 | bibcode = 1990EnvBF..28..189B | s2cid = 11262999 }}][Bonaldo, R.M. & R.D. Rotjan (2018). The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Parrotfishes as Coral Predators. ''in'' Hoey, A.S. & R.M. Bonaldo, eds. Biology of Parrotfishes. CRC Press. {{isbn|978-1482224016}}] A wide range of other small organisms are sometimes eaten, including invertebrates ([sessile](/source/Sessility_(motility)) and [benthic](/source/benthic) species, as well as [zooplankton](/source/zooplankton)), bacteria and [detritus](/source/detritus).[{{cite journal | last1 = Comeros-Raynal | first1 = Choat | last2 = Polidoro | first2 = Clements | last3 = Abesamis | first3 = Craig | last4 = Lazuardi | first4 = McIlwain | last5 = Muljadi | first5 = Myers | last6 = Nañola Jr | first6 = Pardede | last7 = Rocha | first7 = Russell | last8 = Sanciangco | first8 = Stockwell | last9 = Harwell | last10 = Carpenter | year = 2012 | title = The Likelihood of Extinction of Iconic and Dominant Herbivores and Detritivores of Coral Reefs: The Parrotfishes and Surgeonfishes | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 7 | issue = 7| article-number = e39825 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0039825 | pmid = 22808066 | pmc = 3394754 | bibcode = 2012PLoSO...739825C | doi-access = free }}] A few mostly larger species such as the green humphead parrotfish (''Bolbometopon muricatum'') feed extensively on living [coral](/source/Corallivore) ([polyp](/source/polyp_(zoology))s).[ None of these are exclusive [corallivore](/source/corallivore)s, but polyps can make up as much as half their diet][ or even more in the green humphead parrotfish.][ Nevertheless, when they do eat coral polyps, localized coral death can occur.][ Their feeding activity is important for the production and distribution of coral sands in the reef [biome](/source/biome), and can prevent algal overgrowth of the reef structure. The teeth grow continuously, replacing material worn away by feeding.][ Whether they feed on coral, rock or seagrasses, the substrate is ground up between the [pharyngeal teeth](/source/pharyngeal_teeth).][{{cite book |title=Coral Reefs: Cities Under The Seas |last=Murphy |first=Richard C. |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-87850-138-0 |publisher=The Darwin Press, Inc.}}] After they digest the edible portions from the rock, they excrete it as sand, helping create small islands and the sandy beaches. The humphead parrotfish can produce {{convert|90|kg|abbr=on}} of sand each year.[ Or, on average (as there are so many variables i.e. size/species/location/depth etc.), almost {{convert|250|g|abbr=on|0}} per parrotfish per day.{{Citation needed|date=May 2026|reason=Is this WP:OR?}} On Caribbean coral reefs, parrotfish are important consumers of [sponge](/source/sponge)s.][{{Cite journal|title = Video-monitored predation by Caribbean reef fishes on an array of mangrove and reef sponges|journal = Marine Biology|date = 1996|pages = 117–123|volume = 126|doi = 10.1007/BF00571383|first1 = M|last1 = Dunlap|first2 = JR|last2 = Pawlik| issue=1 | bibcode=1996MarBi.126..117D |s2cid = 84799900}}] An indirect effect of parrotfish grazing on sponges is the protection of reef-building corals that would otherwise be overgrown by fast-growing sponge species.[{{Cite journal|title = Chemical defenses and resource trade-offs structure sponge communities on Caribbean coral reefs|journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|date = 2014|pmid = 24567392|pages = 4151–4156|volume = 111|issue = 11|doi = 10.1073/pnas.1321626111|first1 = T-L|last1 = Loh|first2 = JR|last2 = Pawlik |pmc=3964098|bibcode = 2014PNAS..111.4151L|doi-access = free}}][{{Cite journal|title = Indirect effects of overfishing on Caribbean reefs: sponges overgrow reef-building corals|last = Loh|first = TL|date = 2015|journal = PeerJ|doi = 10.7717/peerj.901|display-authors=etal|volume=3|article-number=e901|pmid=25945305|pmc=4419544 | doi-access=free }}]
Analysis of parrotfish feeding biology describes three functional groups: excavators, scrapers and browsers.[{{Cite journal|last1=Price|first1=Samantha A.|last2=Wainwright|first2=Peter C.|last3=Bellwood|first3=David R.|last4=Kazancioglu|first4=Erem|last5=Collar|first5=David C.|last6=Near|first6=Thomas J.|date=2010-10-01|title=Functional Innovations and Morphological Diversification in Parrotfish|journal=Evolution|volume=64|issue=10|pages=3057–3068|doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.01036.x|pmid=20497217|s2cid=19070148|issn=1558-5646}}] leaving visible scars on the surface.[Environmental Biology of Fishes 28: 189–214, 1990][{{Cite journal|last1=Clements|first1=Kendall D.|last2=German|first2=Donovan P.|last3=Piché|first3=Jacinthe|last4=Tribollet|first4=Aline|last5=Choat|first5=John Howard|date=November 2016|title=Integrating ecological roles and trophic diversification on coral reefs: multiple lines of evidence identify parrotfishes as microphages|journal=Biological Journal of the Linnean Society|doi=10.1111/bij.12914}}]}}
Microscopy and molecular barcoding of coral reef substrate bitten by scraping and excavating parrotfish suggest that coral reef cyanobacteria from the order [Nostocales](/source/Nostocales) are important in the feeding of these parrotfish.[Georgina M Nicholson, Kendall D Clements, Micro-photoautotroph predation as a driver for trophic niche specialization in 12 syntopic Indo-Pacific parrotfish species, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Volume 139, Issue 2, June 2023, Pages 91–114, https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blad005] Additional microscopy and molecular barcoding research indicates that some parrotfish may ingest microscopic biota associated with endolithic sponges.[Nicholson, G.M., Clements, K.D. A role for encrusting, endolithic sponges in the feeding of the parrotfish Scarus rubroviolaceus? Evidence of further trophic diversification in Indo-Pacific Scarini. Coral Reefs (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-024-02482-z]
While feeding, parrotfish must be cognizant of [predation](/source/predation), such as by the [lemon shark](/source/lemon_shark).[{{cite book|last=Bright|first=Michael|title=The private life of sharks: the truth behind the myth|year=2000|publisher=Stackpole Books|location=Mechanicsburg, PA|isbn=978-0-8117-2875-1}}]
===Life cycle===
[[File:Papageifische im Roten Meer..DSCF0262BE.jpg|thumb|Terminal phase [rusty parrotfish](/source/rusty_parrotfish) (''Scarus ferrugineus'') fighting.]]
Most tropical species form large schools when feeding and these are often grouped by size. [Harem](/source/Harem_(zoology))s are typical of most species, with the males vigorously defending their group of females and position from any challenge. As pelagic [spawners](/source/spawners), parrotfish release many tiny, buoyant eggs into the water, which become part of the [plankton](/source/Ichthyoplankton). The eggs float freely, settling into the coral until hatching.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}}
==== Sex change ====
{{Multiple image
| image1 = Papageifisch, рыба-попугай DSCF2927WI.jpg
| image2 = Cetoscarus bicolor by Jacek Madejski.jpg
| footer = The [bicolor parrotfish](/source/bicolor_parrotfish) (''Cetoscarus bicolor'') was described by [Eduard Rüppell](/source/Eduard_R%C3%BCppell) in 1829. In 1835, he mistakenly described the terminal phase (right) as a separate species, ''C. pulchellus''
| total_width = 400
}}
The development of parrotfishes is complex and accompanied by a series of changes in sex and [colour](/source/Fish_coloration) ([polychromatism](/source/polychromatism)), with most species being [sequential hermaphrodites](/source/sequential_hermaphrodites), starting as females (known as the initial phase) and then changing to males (the terminal phase). In many species, for example the [stoplight parrotfish](/source/stoplight_parrotfish) (''Sparisoma viride''), a number of individuals develop directly to males (i.e., they do not start as females). These directly developing males usually most resemble the initial phase, and often display a different mating strategy than the terminal phase males of the same species.[Bester, C. ''[http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Sparrotfish/SParrotfish.html Stoplight parrotfish.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120170504/https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/SParrotfish/SParrotfish.html |date=20 January 2016 }}'' Florida Museum of Natural History, Ichthyology Department. Accessed 15-12-2009] A few species such as the [Mediterranean parrotfish](/source/Mediterranean_parrotfish) (''S. cretense'') are secondary [gonochorists](/source/gonochorists). This means that some females do not change sex (they remain females throughout their lives), the ones that do change from female to male do it while still immature (reproductively functioning females do not change to males) and there are no males with female-like colors (the initial phase males in other parrotfish).[{{cite journal | last1 = de Girolamo | first1 = Scaggiante | last2 = Rasotto | year = 1999 | title = Social organization and sexual pattern in the Mediterranean parrotfish Sparisoma cretense (Teleostei: Scaridae) | journal = Marine Biology | volume = 135 | issue = 2| pages = 353–360 | doi = 10.1007/s002270050634 | bibcode = 1999MarBi.135..353D | s2cid = 85428235 }}][{{cite journal | last1 = Sadovy | last2 = Shapiro | year = 1987 | title = Criteria for the diagnosis of hermaphroditism in fishes | journal = Copeia | volume = 1987 | issue = 1| pages = 136–156 | doi = 10.2307/1446046 | jstor = 1446046 }}] The [marbled parrotfish](/source/marbled_parrotfish) (''Leptoscarus vaigiensis'') is the only species of parrotfish known not to change sex.[ In most species, the initial phase is dull red, brown, or grey, while the terminal phase is vividly green or blue with bright pink, orange or yellow patches.][ In a smaller number of species the phases are similar,][ and in the Mediterranean parrotfish the adult female is brightly colored, while the adult male is gray.][{{cite book | author=Debelius, H. | year=1997 | title=Mediterranean and Atlantic Fish Guide: From Spain to Turkey - From Norway to South Africa | publisher=ConchBooks | page=221 | isbn=978-3-925919-54-1 }}] In most species, juveniles have a different color pattern from adults. Juveniles of some tropical species can alter their color temporarily to [mimic](/source/Mimicry) other species.[Cardwell JR1, Liley NR.Gen Comp Endocrinol. 1991 Jan;81(1):7-20] Where the sexes and ages differ, the remarkably different phases often were first described as separate species.[ As a consequence early scientists recognized more than 350 parrotfish species, which is almost four times the actual number.][
{{multiple image
| total_width = 400
| image1 = Scarus psittacus, Kahaluu-Keauhou, HI 96740, USA imported from iNaturalist photo 301406558 (cropped).jpg
| caption1 = Female ''[Scarus psittacus](/source/Scarus_psittacus)'' (= initial phase)
| image2 = Scarus psittacus, Island of Hawai'i, Hawaii, USA imported from iNaturalist photo 63881409 (cropped).jpg
| caption2 = Male ''[Scarus psittacus](/source/Scarus_psittacus)'' (= terminal phase)
}}
The sex change in parrotfishes is accompanied by changes in circulating [steroid](/source/steroid)s. Females have high levels of [estradiol](/source/estradiol), moderate levels of [T](/source/Testosterone) and undetectable levels of the major fish [androgen](/source/androgen) [11-Ketotestosterone](/source/11-Ketotestosterone). During the transition from initial to terminal coloration phases, concentrations of 11-Ketotestosterone rise dramatically and [estrogen](/source/estrogen) levels decline. If a female is injected with 11-ketotestosterone, it will cause a precocious change in gonadal, gametic and behavioural sex.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
==Relation to humans==
A commercial [fishery](/source/fishery) exists for some of the larger species, particularly in the Indo-Pacific,][ but also for a few others like the [Mediterranean parrotfish](/source/Mediterranean_parrotfish).][{{cite journal | author=Cardigos, F. | year=2001 | title=Vejas | url=http://www.horta.uac.pt/projectos/marov/Media/Vejas.pdf | journal=Revista Mundo Submerso | volume=58 | issue=V | pages=48–51 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708074412/http://www.horta.uac.pt/projectos/marov/Media/Vejas.pdf | archive-date=8 July 2018 }}] Despite their striking colors, their feeding behavior renders them highly unsuitable for most marine [aquaria](/source/aquarium).[
Parrotfish are important in maintaining ecosystem balance; their protection has been proposed as a way of saving Caribbean coral reefs from being overgrown with seaweed][[Morelle, Rebecca](/source/Rebecca_Morelle) (1 November 2007) [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7069933.stm Parrotfish to aid reef repair]. BBC] and sponges.[{{cite journal|author=Australian Geographic|url=http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2014/09/single-keystone-species-may-be-key-to-reef-health|title=Single species may be key to reef health|date= September 2014}}]
==Timeline of genera==
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from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:[Paleocene](/source/Paleocene)
from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:[Eocene](/source/Eocene)
from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:[Oligocene](/source/Oligocene)
from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:[Miocene](/source/Miocene)
from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:[Plio.](/source/Plio.)
from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:[Pleist.](/source/Pleist.)
from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text:[H.](/source/Holocene)
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from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:[Paleogene](/source/Paleogene)
from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:[Neogene](/source/Neogene)
from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text:[Q.](/source/Quaternary)
PlotData=
align:left fontsize:M mark:(line,white) width:5 anchor:till align:left
color:oligocene bar:NAM1 from: -33.9 till: 0 text: [Scarus](/source/Scarus)
PlotData=
align:center textcolor:black fontsize:M mark:(line,black) width:25
bar:period
from: -65.5 till: -55.8 color:paleocene text:[Paleocene](/source/Paleocene)
from: -55.8 till: -33.9 color:eocene text:[Eocene](/source/Eocene)
from: -33.9 till: -23.03 color:oligocene text:[Oligocene](/source/Oligocene)
from: -23.03 till: -5.332 color:miocene text:[Miocene](/source/Miocene)
from: -5.332 till: -2.588 color:pliocene text:[Plio.](/source/Plio.)
from: -2.588 till: -0.0117 color:pleistocene text:[Pleist.](/source/Pleist.)
from: -0.0117 till: 0 color:holocene text:[H.](/source/Holocene)
bar:era
from: -65.5 till: -23.03 color:paleogene text:[Paleogene](/source/Paleogene)
from: -23.03 till: -2.588 color:neogene text:[Neogene](/source/Neogene)
from: -2.588 till: 0 color:quaternary text:[Q.](/source/Quaternary)
==References==
{{Reflist|35em|refs=
[{{cite journal|title=Spatial patterns in reproductive traits of the temperate parrotfish ''Sparisoma cretense''|url=http://www.horta.uac.pt/ppl/tmorato/pdf/Afonso_etal_2008a.pdf|doi=10.1016/j.fishres.2007.09.029|year=2008|last1=Afonso|first1=Pedro|last2=Morato|first2=Telmo|last3=Santos|first3=Ricardo Serrão|journal=Fisheries Research|volume=90|issue=1–3|pages=92–99|bibcode=2008FishR..90...92A |archive-date=5 March 2016|access-date=23 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305072143/http://www.horta.uac.pt/ppl/tmorato/pdf/Afonso_etal_2008a.pdf}}]
[{{cite journal
|last=Videlier |first=H.
|author2=Geertjes, G.J. |author3= Videlier, J.J.
|year=1999
|title=Biochemical characteristics and antibiotic properties of the mucous envelope of the queen parrotfish
|journal=Journal of Fish Biology
|volume=54
|pages=1124–1127
|doi=10.1111/j.1095-8649.1999.tb00864.x
|issue=5
|bibcode=1999JFBio..54.1124V
}}]
[{{cite book
|editor=Paxton, J.R. |editor2=Eschmeyer, W.N.
|author1=Choat, J.H. |author2=Bellwood, D.R.
|name-list-style=amp |year=1998
|title=Encyclopedia of Fishes
|publisher= Academic Press
|location=San Diego
|pages= 209–211
|isbn= 978-0-12-547665-2}}]
[{{cite journal|author=Streelman, J. T., Alfaro, M. E.|display-authors=etal|year=2002|title=Evolutionary History of The Parrotfishes: Biogeography, Ecomorphology, and Comparative Diversity|journal=Evolution|volume=56|issue=5|pages=961–971|pmid=12093031|doi=10.1111/j.0014-3820.2002.tb01408.x|bibcode=2002Evolu..56..961S |s2cid=41840374|doi-access=free}}]
[{{cite journal|author=Bellwood, D. R., Hoey, A. S., Choat, J. H. |year=2003|title=Limited functional redundancy in high diversity systems: resilience and ecosystem function on coral reefs|journal= Ecology Letters |volume=6|issue=4|pages= 281–285|doi=10.1046/j.1461-0248.2003.00432.x |bibcode=2003EcolL...6..281B }}]
[{{cite journal|author=Lokrantz, J., Nyström, Thyresson, M., M., C. Johansson|title=The non-linear relationship between body size and function in parrotfishes|doi=10.1007/s00338-008-0394-3|bibcode=2008CorRe..27..967L|year=2008|journal=Coral Reefs|volume=27|issue=4|pages=967–974|s2cid=37926874}}]
[Lieske, E., and Myers, R. (1999). ''Coral Reef Fishes.'' 2nd edition. Princeton University Press. {{ISBN|0-691-00481-1}}]
[{{cite book
|last1=Thurman
|first1=H.V
|last2=Webber
|first2=H.H.
|title=Marine Biology
|year=1984
|publisher=Charles E. Merrill Publishing
|pages=303–313
|chapter=Chapter 12, Benthos on the Continental Shelf
|chapter-url=http://www.geology.iupui.edu/academics/CLASSES/G130/reefs/MB.htm
|archive-date=6 March 2012
|access-date=14 June 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306095409/http://www.geology.iupui.edu/academics/CLASSES/G130/reefs/MB.htm
}} Accessed 2009-06-14.]
[{{cite journal|pmid=15955516|year=2005|last1=Westneat|first1=MW|last2=Alfaro|first2=ME|title=Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the reef fish family Labridae|volume=36|issue=2|pages=370–90|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2005.02.001|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution |bibcode=2005MolPE..36..370W }}]
}}
==Further reading==
* Hoey and Bonaldo. [https://books.google.com/books?id=pVNPDwAAQBAJ The Biology of Parrotfishes]
* Monod, Th., 1979. "Scaridae". pp. 444–445. In J.C. Hureau and Th. Monod (eds.) ''Check-list of the fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and of the Mediterranean (CLOFNAM)''. UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 1.
* {{cite journal | last = Sepkoski | first = Jack | title = A compendium of fossil marine animal genera | journal = Bulletins of American Paleontology | volume = 363 | page = 560 | year = 2002 | url = https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10698872 | access-date = 2014-05-03}}
* {{cite journal | last = Smith | first = J.L.B.| title = The parrotfishes of the family Callyodontidae of the Western Indian Ocean | journal = Ichthyological Bulletin, Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University | volume = 1 | year = 1956 | hdl = 10962/d1018535}}
* {{cite journal | last = Smith | first = J.L.B.| title = The identity of Scarus gibbus Ruppell, 1828 and of other parrotfishes of the family Callyodontidae from the Red Sea and the Western Indian Ocean | journal = Ichthyological Bulletin, Department of Ichthyology, Rhodes University | volume = 16 | year = 1959 | hdl = 10962/d1018777}}
* Bullock, A.E. and T. Monod, 1997. "Myologie céphalique de deux poissons perroquets (Teleostei: Scaridae)". ''Cybium'' 21(2):173–199.
* {{cite journal | last1 = Randall | first1 = John E.| last2 = Bruce| first2 = Robin W. | title = The parrotfishes of the subfamily Scarinae of the Western Indian Ocean with descriptions of three new species | journal = Ichthyological Bulletin|publisher=J.L.B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology, Rhodes University | volume = 47 | year = 1983 | hdl = 10962/d1019747}}
==External links==
{{Commons category|Scaridae}}
*{{Cite web|title = parrotfish factsheet|url = http://waittinstitute.org/parrotfish/|access-date = 2015-06-08|publisher = Waitt Institute|archive-date = 27 January 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190127160533/http://waittinstitute.org/parrotfish/}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081014092442/http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/parrot-fish.html Parrot Fish Profile from National Geographic]
*[http://www.parrotfish.info/Parrot_Fish_Care.html Parrot Fish Care]
*[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?ID=364 Parrotfish info] on Fishbase
{{Taxonbar|from=Q502220}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Labridae
Category:Marine fish
Category:Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque
Category:Actinopterygii subfamilies
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Parrotfish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrotfish) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrotfish?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.