Scarus
Genus of ray-finned fishes
title: "Scarus" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["scarus", "extant-rupelian-first-appearances", "marine-fish-genera", "taxa-named-by-peter-forsskål", "rupelian-genus-first-appearances", "taxonomy-articles-created-by-polbot"] description: "Genus of ray-finned fishes" topic_path: "general/scarus" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarus" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Genus of ray-finned fishes ::
| fossil_range = Late Miocene to Present | image = Scarus psittacus (cropped).JPG | image_caption = Scarus psittacus (terminal phase) | taxon = Scarus | authority = Forsskål, 1775 | type_species = Scarus psittacus | type_species_authority = Forsskål (not of Linnaeus), 1775 | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision = about 52, see text | synonyms = {{collapsible list|bullets = true|title=List | Callyodon Scopoli, 1777 | Calliodon Bloch & Schneider, 1801 | Erychthys Swainson, 1839 | Hemistoma Swainson, 1839 | Petronason Swainson, 1839 | Scarus Bleeker, 1847 | Pseudoscarus Bleeker, 1861 | Loro Jordan & Evermann, 1896 | Margaritodon J.L.B. Smith, 1956 | Scarops Schultz, 1958 | Xenoscarops Schultz, 1958 | synonyms_ref =
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.
The genus name Scarus comes from the Greek word σκάρος (skáros), which refers to parrotfishes.
Evolution
Scarus is most closely related to its sister genus Chlorurus. Most recent phylogenetic analyses find that the two genera diverged during the late Miocene (Messinian). In both genera, most of their diversification occurred some time later, within the last 3.5 million years during the Pliocene. In contrast, coral reefs in their modern form were established much earlier, during the Miocene.
Most Scarus species occur in reef habitats. Because some species such as S. zufar occur in rockier, more peripheral habitats, patterns of phylogenetic relationships have led researchers to suggest that these habitats may be the ancestral habitat type for the genus.
A 2012 phylogenetic analysis of 45 Scarus species recovered 10 major monophyletic clades.
Description
Adults of most species reach maximum lengths of between 30 and(-), but the rainbow parrotfish (Scarus guacamaia) can grow to lengths of 1.2 m and is the second largest species of parrotfish after the humphead parrotfish. S. guacamaia weighs a hundred times more than the smallest Scarus species Scarus iseri, which only reaches a maximum length of 27 cm.
In comparison to its sister genus Chlorurus, Scarus species in general have less obtuse head profiles, less extensive cheek areas, and smaller dental plates, although a few species of Scarus are exceptions to this. This may possibly reflect comparatively lower biting power, and a disparity in the ability to excavate calcareous reef subtrata.
Sexual dichromatism
Most Scarus species are very colourful, and most are sexually dichromatic, with strikingly different initial (male and female) and terminal (male only) phases. However in a few species, initial phase and terminal phase colouration remains the same. Examples of such sexually monochromatic species include S. guacamaia, S. coelestinus, S. perrico, S. niger, and S. coeruleus.
Ecology
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Scarus_coelestinus_57202825.jpg" caption="issn=0045-8511}}"] ::
Scarus species are important herbivores in reef ecosystems, feeding predominantly on algae and dead coral. In the process, they facilitate bioerosion and create sediment.
Lifespan varies across different species. More short-lived species, such as the common parrotfish (S. psittacus), live for up to 6 years. Other species are more long-lived; the endangered greenback parrotfish (S. trispinosus) has been recorded living for over 20 years, and is the largest herbivorous reef fish in the South Atlantic. Its close relative, the midnight parrotfish (S. coelestinus), has been recorded reaching 31 years of age. Such large bodied and long-lived species are highly vulnerable to over-exploitation by fisheries.
Many species within the genus are sympatric with each other, and often are sympatric with their sister species; Scarus frequently underwent sympatric speciation through adaptive radiation.
Species
There are currently 52 recognised species in this genus: ::data[format=table title=""]
| Species | Common name | Initial phase | Terminal phase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarus altipinnis | filament-finned parrotfish | [[File:Minifin parrotfish Scarus altipinnis (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus arabicus | Arabian parrotfish | ||
| Scarus caudofasciatus | red-barred parrotfish | ||
| Scarus chameleon | chameleon parrotfish | [[File:Scarus chameleon (cropped).jpg | |
| Scarus chinensis | |||
| Scarus coelestinus | midnight parrotfish | [[File:Scarus_coelestinus_330345598_(cropped).jpg | center |
| Scarus coeruleus | blue parrotfish | [[File:Scarus coeruleus 109602038 (cropped).jpg | center |
| Scarus collana | Red Sea parrotfish | ||
| Scarus compressus | azure parrotfish | [[File:Scarus compressus, Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico imported from iNaturalist photo 64955464 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus dimidiatus | yellow-barred parrotfish | [[File:Scarus dimidiatus, MM65 HQP, Jl. I Ketut Natih, Purwakerti, Kec. Abang, Kabupaten Karangasem, Bali 80852, Indonesia imported from iNaturalist photo 270199514 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus dubius | regal parrotfish | [[File:Scarus dubius 133002939.jpg | |
| Scarus falcipinnis | sicklefin parrotfish | [[File:Scarus falcipinnis femelle (cropped).JPG | frameless]] |
| Scarus ferrugineus | rusty parrotfish | [[File:Pez loro (Scarus ferrugineus), parque nacional Ras Muhammad, Egipto, 2022-03-26, DD 92 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus festivus | festive parrotfish | ||
| Scarus flavipectoralis | yellowfin parrotfish | [[File:Scarus flavipectoralis 360974942 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus forsteni | Forsten's parrotfish | [[File:Bluepatch parrotfish initial phase (Scarus forsteni) (42854211135) (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus frenatus | bridled parrotfish | [[File:Scarus frenatus, Cairns, QLD, Australia imported from iNaturalist photo 314629729 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus fuscocaudalis | darktail parrotfish | ||
| Scarus fuscopurpureus | purple-brown parrotfish | [[File:Scarus fuscopurpureus 188820188 (cropped).jpg | |
| Scarus ghobban | blue-barred parrotfish | [[File:Scarus ghobban femelle (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus globiceps | globehead parrotfish | [[File:Scarus globiceps mâle (cropped).jpg | |
| Scarus gracilis | |||
| Scarus guacamaia | rainbow parrotfish | [[File:Rainbow parrotfish (cropped).jpg | center |
| Scarus hoefleri | Guinean parrotfish | [[File:Scarus hoefleri, Bom Bom, Principe, São Tomé 02 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus hypselopterus | yellowtail parrotfish | [[File:Scarus hypselopterus, Thailand imported from iNaturalist photo 331402388 (cropped).jpg | center |
| Scarus iseri | striped parrotfish | [[File:Scarus iseri 469419164 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus koputea | Marquesan parrotfish | ||
| Scarus longipinnis | highfin parrotfish | [[File:Scarus longipinnis (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus maculipinna | spot-fin parrotfish | ||
| Scarus niger | dusky parrotfish | [[File:Scarus niger, Anantara Kihavah, Baa Atoll, Maldives imported from iNaturalist photo 296761941 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus obishime | yellowtail parrotfish | [[File:Scarus obishime (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus oviceps | dark-capped parrotfish | [[File:Scarus oviceps, Heron Island, QLD, Australia imported from iNaturalist photo 133770074 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus ovifrons | knobsnout parrotfish | [[File:AoBD scarus ovifrons (cropped).jpg | |
| Scarus perrico | bumphead parrotfish | [[File:Scarus perrico, Galápagos Islands, Ecuador imported from iNaturalist photo 349053328.png | center |
| Scarus persicus | gulf parrotfish | ||
| Scarus prasiognathos | Singapore parrotfish | [[File:Scarus prasiognathos female (cropped).JPG | frameless]] |
| Scarus psittacus | common parrotfish | [[File:Scarus psittacus, Kahaluu-Keauhou, HI 96740, USA imported from iNaturalist photo 301406558 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus quoyi | Quoy's parrotfish | [[File:Scarus quoyi 308143091 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus rivulatus | rivulated parrotfish | [[File:Scarus rivulatus Surf Parrotfish (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus rubroviolaceus | ember parrotfish | [[File:Scarus rubroviolaceus 340437039 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus russelii | eclipse parrotfish | [[File:Scarus russelii, Anantara Kihavah, Baa Atoll, Maldives imported from iNaturalist photo 296761690 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus scaber | fivesaddle parrotfish | [[File:Scarus scaber 308418912 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus schlegeli | yellowband parrotfish | [[File:Scarus schlegeli 386249033 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus spinus | greensnout parrotfish | [[File:Scarus spinus 67553255 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus taeniopterus | princess parrotfish | [[File:Scarus taeniopterus 469419181 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus tricolor | tricolour parrotfish | [[File:Scarus tricolor 473651680 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus trispinosus | greenback parrotfish | [[File:Abrolhos Marine National ParkRobertoCostaPinto06 (cropped).jpg | center |
| Scarus vetula | queen parrotfish | [[File:Scarus vetula, 9HGJ 372, West Bay, Cayman Islands imported from iNaturalist photo 312863834 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus viridifucatus | roundhead parrotfish | [[File:Scarus viridifucatus, Antsiranana Urban, Madagaskar imported from iNaturalist photo 178561312 (cropped).jpg | |
| Scarus xanthopleura | red parrotfish | [[File:Scarus xanthopleura, Gladstone, QLD, Australia imported from iNaturalist photo 5467033 (cropped).jpg | frameless]] |
| Scarus zelindae | Zelinda's parrotfish | [[File:Figure 2. Brazilian endemic parrotfishes now under inverted management (cropped) (cropped).jpg | |
| Scarus zufar | Dhofar parrotfish | ||
| :: |
In political thought
In Cesare Ripa's Renaissance iconography, the scarus fish symbolised civil "Union," i.e. the joining of individuals into a collective body. Plutarch had written that scarus fish "swim together in shoals and ingeniously and heroically free each other when caught in a net." The scarus thus "denoted reciprocal assistance in the fight for survival."
References
References
- (November 2012). "Patterns and processes in the evolutionary history of parrotfishes (Family Labridae): Evolutionary History of Parrotfishes". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.
- {{Cof family
- Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds. [http://www.fishbase.org/identification/SpeciesList.php?genus=Scarus ''Scarus''.] FishBase. 2013.
- "Scarus iseri summary page".
- (October 2008). "Phylogenetic relationships and the evolution of regulatory gene sequences in the parrotfishes". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
- (1980-12-01). "Two new parrotfishes of the genus Scarus from the Central and South Pacific, with further examples of sexual dichromatism". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
- (2018-03-05). "Biology of Parrotfishes". CRC Press.
- Randall, John E.. (1963). "Notes on the Systematics of Parrotfishes (Scaridae), with Emphasis on Sexual Dichromatism". Copeia.
- Frydl, Paul. (1979). "The Effect of Parrotfish (Scaridae) on Coral in Barbados, W. I". Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie.
- (2019-08-30). "Age, growth, reproduction and management of Southwestern Atlantic's largest and endangered herbivorous reef fish, Scarus trispinosus Valenciennes, 1840". PeerJ.
- (2021-05-01). "Princess parrotfish Scarus taeniopterus age, growth, maturity, and transition". Environmental Biology of Fishes.
- Hont, I. ''Jealousy of Trade: International Competition and the Nation-State in Historical Perspective''. Harvard UP: 2005, pp. 21-22.
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