''Chlorurus sordidus'', known commonly as the daisy parrotfish or bullethead parrotfish, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

of marine

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Scaridae.

Description

The initial phase has very variable colouration. The smaller fishes can be a uniform dark brown to light gray and they may or may not possess a light band surrounding a dark spot on the caudal peduncle. Larger specimens can show a series of irregular rows of small, light spots towards the tail or they may have the light band surrounding the dark spot on the caudal peduncle. The terminal phase, male, is also variable and may have a large tan area on the flanks or on its caudal peduncle. It has a rounded snout. ''Chlorurus sordidus'' is a medium size

and can reach a maximum size of length.

Distribution

''Chlorurus sordidus'' is widespread throughout the

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

waters of the

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

region,

Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...

included.

Habitat and biology

Before going to sleep, ''Chlorurus sordidus'' secretes a mucus which surrounds the fish in a complete cocoon. The purpose of this mucus cocoon is not completely understood, but one theory is that it protects the fish from parasitic gnathidds. This species is known to be predated on by the

honeycomb grouper The honeycomb grouper (''Epinephelus merra''), also known as black-spotted rock-cod, common birdwire rockcod, dwarf spotted rockcod, dwarf-spotted grouper, honeycomb cod, wire-netted reefcod or wire-netting cod, is a species of marine ray-finned ...

(''Epinephelus merra'') and the coral trout (''Plectropomus leopardus''), its parasites include the monogenean '' Benedenia scari''. It is a sociable fish which schools with other parrotfishes such as '' Scarus psittacus''. ''Chlorurus sordidus'' is one of the most widespread species of parrotfish, and it is highly variable with some of the geographically determined forms probably being at least

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

. It occurs in both coral rich and open pavement areas of shallow reef flats, in lagoon reefs and seaward reefs, it can also be found at drop-offs. The juveniles inhabit areas of coral rubble in reef flats and lagoons. The juveniles and females in their initial phase form large groups that move long distances between their feeding grounds and the areas used for sleeping at night. They feed on benthic algae. This species is a

protogynous hermaphrodite Sequential hermaphroditism (called dichogamy in botany) is a type of hermaphroditism that occurs in many fish, gastropods, and plants. Sequential hermaphroditism occurs when the individual changes its sex at some point in its life. In particular, ...

and the sex change occurs when the attain a

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...

of .

Taxonomy

''Chlorurus sordidus'' has been split by some authorities and the Red Sea dn Indian Ocean populations are regarded as ''C. sordidus'' while '' Chlorurus spilurus'' occurs in the Pacific and Eastern Indian Ocean, this is based on mitochondrial DNA sequencing and on morphological data. It is also probable that the Red Sea population will also be demonstrated to be specifically distinct. ''Scarus sordidus'' was described by the

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

explorer, orientalist and naturalist Peter Forsskål (1732-1763), the description was published in 1775 with the type locality being Hurghada in Egypt.

References

External links

* *http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=219082 *https://www.zesea.com/en/parrot-fish-working-for-coral-reefs/ * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2249706 sordidus Fish of Palau Fish described in 1775 Taxa named by Peter Forsskål