''Chlorurus spilurus'', known commonly as the Pacific daisy parrotfish or Pacific bullethead parrotfish and in Hawaiian called uhu, 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. The Pacific daisy parrotfish 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 Pacific.

Description

The initial phase fish, which can be female or male, have a white beak, an overall dark reddish coloration with a white caudal peduncle and fin with a black patch. There is great variation in the coloration among the terminal males of this species. Their body is greenish with big scales outlined with purple-blue lines, three purple-blue stripes around the mouth, and an orange and a white patch on the cheek.

Taxonomy

''Chlorurus spilurus'' was once synonymized with ''

Chlorurus sordidus ''Chlorurus sordidus'', known commonly as the daisy parrotfish or bullethead parrotfish, is a species of marine fish in the family Scaridae. Description The initial phase has very variable colouration. The smaller fishes can be a uniform dark ...

'', but recent study indicates that ''C. spilurus'' is distinct from Forsskal's species.Parenti, P. and J.E. Randall, 2011. Checklist of the species of the families Labridae and Scaridae: an update. Smithian Bull. 13:29-44. This species has hybridized with '' Chlorurus perspicillatus''.

Distribution

''Chlorurus spilurus'' can be found in the Western and Central Pacific, from

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

and

Pitcairn Island Pitcairn Island is the only inhabited island of the Pitcairn Islands, of which many inhabitants are descendants of mutineers of HMS ''Bounty''. Geography The island is of volcanic origin, with a rugged cliff coastline. Unlike many other ...

Habitat

These parrotfish are found in diverse coral reefs and lagoons.

Diet

These parrotfish have strong beaks that are designed to easily break off chunks of coral to feed on coral polyps and algae growing on the coral.

Cultural Significance

The pacific bullethead parrotfish was, and still is a favorite amongst fishermen for meals. They were usually eaten raw, but also were boiled on occasion. The Uhu also has a prominent space in Hawaiian culture and folklore, particularly in the story of Puniakaia, where a supernatural parrotfish is said to be the parent of all fish species. In the end, two heroes named Kawelo and Makuakeke killed the fish named Uhumaka'ika'i.

References

External links

* spilurus Fish of Palau Taxa named by Achille Valenciennes Fish described in 1840 {{Ray-finned fish-stub