''Scarus'' is a genus of

parrotfish Parrotfishes are a group of about 90 fish species regarded as a family (Scaridae), or a subfamily (Scarinae) of the wrasses. With about 95 species, this group's largest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific. They are found in coral reefs, ...

es. With 52 currently recognised

extant Extant is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to: * Extant hereditary titles * Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English * Extant taxon, a taxon which is not extinct, ...

species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds
''Scarus''.
FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at

reefs A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock o ...

in 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 ...

, but a small number of species are found in the warmer parts of the eastern Pacific and the western

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

, with a single species, ''Scarus hoefleri'' in the eastern Atlantic. Most are very colourful, and have strikingly different initial (males and females) and terminal (males only) phases. Adults of most species reach maximum lengths of between , but the rainbow parrotfish (''Scarus guacamaia'') can grow to lengths of .

Species

There are currently 52 recognised species in this genus: *'' Scarus altipinnis'' ( Steindachner, 1879) (filament-finned parrotfish) *'' Scarus arabicus'' (Steindachner, 1902) (Arabian parrotfish) *'' Scarus caudofasciatus'' ( Günther, 1862) (red-barred parrotfish) *'' Scarus chameleon'' Choat &

Randall Randall may refer to the following: Places United States *Randall, California, former name of White Hall, California, an unincorporated community * Randall, Indiana, a former town *Randall, Iowa, a city *Randall, Kansas, a city *Randall, Minnesot ...

, 1986 (chameleon parrotfish) *'' Scarus chinensis'' (Steindachner, 1867) *'' Scarus coelestinus'' Valenciennes, 1840 (midnight parrotfish) *'' Scarus coeruleus'' (Edwards, 1771) (blue parrotfish) *'' Scarus collana'' Rüppell, 1835 (Red Sea parrotfish) *'' Scarus compressus'' ( Osburn &

Nichols Nichols may refer to: People *Nichols (surname) * Nichol, a surname Places Canada * Nichols Islands, Nunavut United States * Nichols, California, an unincorporated community * Nichols Canyon, Los Angeles, California * Nichols, Connecticut * N ...

1916) (azure parrotfish) *'' Scarus dimidiatus'' Bleeker, 1859 (yellow-barred parrotfish) *''

Scarus dubius ''Scarus dubius'', also known as regal parrotfish, is a parrotfish endemic to the Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets ...

'' ( Bennett, 1828) (regal parrotfish) *''

Scarus falcipinnis ''Scarus falcipinnis'' is a species of fish of the Scaridae family in the order Perciformes. Geographical distribution It is located in coastal waters of Oman, Mozambique, Seychelles, Mauritius, Reunion Reunion may refer to: * Clas ...

'' ( Playfair, 1868) (sicklefin parrotfish) *'' Scarus ferrugineus'' Forsskål, 1775 (rusty parrotfish) *''

Scarus festivus ''Scarus festivus'', the festive parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish in the family Scaridae. This species has a wide Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense ...

'' Valenciennes, 1840 (festive parrotfish) *''

Scarus flavipectoralis ''Scarus flavipectoralis'', the yellow-fin parrotfish, also known as the king parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish in the family Scaridae. It is found in the western Central Pacific from the Philippines east to the ...

'' Schultz, 1958 (yellowfin parrotfish) *''

Scarus forsteni ''Scarus forsteni'', commonly known as the whitespot parrotfish, or Forsten's parrotfish, is a marine fish native to tropical areas in the western Pacific Ocean, where it lives in coral reefs and feeds on benthic algae Algae (; singular al ...

'' ( Bleeker, 1861) (Forsten's parrotfish) *''

Scarus frenatus ''Scarus frenatus'' is a species of parrotfish. Common names include bridled parrotfish, sixband or six-banded parrotfish or vermiculate parrotfish. Description This species grows to a maximum length of 47 cm, and can be distinguished by i ...

'' Lacépède, 1802 (bridled parrotfish) *''

Scarus fuscocaudalis ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised Extant taxon, extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at coral reef, ree ...

'' Randall &

Myers Myers as a surname has several possible origins, e.g. Old French ("physician"), Old English ("mayor"), and Old Norse ("marsh"). People *Abram F. Myers (born 1889), chair of the Federal Trade Commission and later general counsel and board chai ...

, 2000 (darktail parrotfish) *''

Scarus fuscopurpureus ''Scarus fuscopurpureus'', common name purple-brown parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, belonging to the class Actinopterygii. It is a parrotfish in the family Scaridae. It occurs in the western Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the ...

'' ( Klunzinger, 1871) (purple-brown parrotfish) *'' Scarus ghobban'' Forsskål, 1775 (blue-barred parrotfish) *''

Scarus globiceps ''Scarus globiceps'', commonly known as the globehead, violet-lined, speckled or roundhead parrotfish, is a marine fish native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where it lives in coral reefs. French naturalist Achille Valenciennes described the g ...

'' Valenciennes, 1840 (globehead parrotfish) *''

Scarus gracilis ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

'' (Steindachner 1869) *'' Scarus guacamaia'' Cuvier, 1829 (rainbow parrotfish) *''

Scarus hoefleri ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

'' (Steindachner, 1881) (Guinean parrotfish) *''

Scarus hypselopterus ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

'' Bleeker, 1853 (yellowtail parrotfish) *''

Scarus iseri Scarus iseri is a species of fish of the family Scaridae. Its common names include striped parrotfish. The species was described by Bloch Bloch is a surname of German origin. Notable people with this surname include: A–F * (1859-1914), Fren ...

'' (

Bloch Bloch is a surname of German origin. Notable people with this surname include: A–F * (1859-1914), French rabbi * Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881-1925), Austrian entrepreneur * Albert Bloch (1882–1961), American painter * (born 1972), German motor jour ...

, 1789) (striped parrotfish) *''

Scarus koputea ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

'' Randall & Choat, 1980 (Marquesan parrotfish) *''

Scarus longipinnis ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

'' Randall & Choat, 1980 (highfin parrotfish) *''

Scarus maculipinna ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

'' Westneat, Satapoomin & Randall, 2007 (Spot-fin parrotfish) *'' Scarus niger'' Forsskål, 1775 (dusky parrotfish) *''

Scarus obishime ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

'' Randall &

Earle Earle may refer to: * Earle (given name) * Earle (surname) Places * Earle, Arkansas, a city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, US * Earle, Indiana, an unincorporated town in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, US * Earle, Northumberland, a settlement i ...

, 1993 (yellowtail parrotfish) *'' Scarus oviceps'' Valenciennes, 1840 (dark-capped parrotfish) *'' Scarus ovifrons''

Temminck Coenraad Jacob Temminck (; 31 March 1778 – 30 January 1858) was a Dutch aristocrat, zoologist and museum director. Biography Coenraad Jacob Temminck was born on 31 March 1778 in Amsterdam in the Dutch Republic. From his father, Jacob Temmin ...

& Schlegel, 1846 knobsnout parrotfish *'' Scarus perrico''

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Ri ...

Gilbert Gilbert may refer to: People and fictional characters *Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Gilbert (surname), including a list of people Places Australia * Gilbert River (Queensland) * Gilbert River (South A ...

, 1882 (bumphead parrotfish) *''

Scarus persicus ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, b ...

'' Randall & Bruce, 1983 (gulf parrotfish) *''

Scarus prasiognathos ''Scarus prasiognathos'', the Singapore parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is native to the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans, where it lives in coral reefs. This species was f ...

'' Valenciennes, 1840 (Singapore parrotfish) *''

Scarus psittacus ''Scarus psittacus'', the common parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. Other common names for this species include the palenose parrotfish, Batavian parrotfish and the rosy-cheek parrotfish. It ...

'' Forsskål 1775 (common parrotfish) *''

Scarus quoyi ''Scarus quoyi'', commonly known as Quoy's or greenblotch parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the Family (biology), family Scaridae. It is native to the western Pacific Ocean, where it lives in coral reefs. The spe ...

'' Valenciennes, 1840 (Quoy's parrotfish) *''

Scarus rivulatus ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

'' Valenciennes, 1840 (rivulated parrotfish) *''

Scarus rubroviolaceus The ember parrotfish (''Scarus rubroviolaceus'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is also known as the bicolor parrotfish and the redlip parrotfish ...

'' Bleeker, 1847 (ember parrotfish) *''

Scarus russelii The eclipse parrotfish (''Scarus russelii''), also known as Russell's parrotfish, is a species of parrotfish native to Indian Ocean countries such as Madagascar, Seychelles, and Mauritius to south India, Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; s ...

'' Valenciennes, 1840 (eclipse parrotfish) *''

Scarus scaber ''Scarus scaber'', the five-saddle parrotfish or dusky-capped parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It is native to Indian Ocean. Description This species grows to a maximum 37 cm in leng ...

'' Valenciennes, 1840 (fivesaddle parrotfish) *'' Scarus schlegeli'' Bleeker, 1867 (yellowband parrotfish) *''

Scarus spinus ''Scarus spinus'', the Greensnout parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish from the Family (biology), family Scaridae.https://fishbase.mnhn.fr/summary/4974 Fishbase Description ''Scarus spinus'' can reach a total lengt ...

'' ( Kner) (greensnout parrotfish) *'' Scarus taeniopterus''

Lesson A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...

, 1829 (princess parrotfish) *''

Scarus tricolor ''Scarus tricolor'', also known as the tri-colour parrotfish or three-coloured parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the family Scaridae. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution. Description ''Scarus tricolor'' ...

'' Bleeker, 1847 (tricolour parrotfish) *''

Scarus trispinosus ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

'' Valenciennes, 1840 (greenback parrotfish) *'' Scarus vetula'' Bloch &

Schneider Schneider may refer to: Hospital * Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel People *Schneider (surname) Companies and organizations * G. Schneider & Sohn, a Bavarian brewery company * Schneider Rundfunkwerke AG, the former owner of the D ...

, 1801 (queen parrotfish) *''

Scarus viridifucatus ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at reefs in the Indo-Pacific, ...

J.L.B. Smith James Leonard Brierley Smith (26 September 1897 – 8 January 1968) was a South African ichthyologist, organic chemist, and university professor. He was the first to identify a taxidermied fish as a coelacanth, at the time thought to be long e ...

, 1956 (roundhead parrotfish) *''

Scarus xanthopleura ''Scarus'' is a genus of parrotfishes. With 52 currently recognised Extant taxon, extant species,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds''Scarus''.FishBase. 2013. it is by far the largest genus in this family. The vast majority are found at coral reef, ree ...

'' Bleeker, 1853 (red parrotfish) *'' Scarus zelindae'' Moura, Figueiredo & Sazima, 2001 (Zelinda's parrotfish) *''

Scarus zufar ''Scarus zufar'', also known as Dhofar parrotfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a parrotfish, in the Family (biology), family Scaridae. It is found along the central to southern coastal waters of Oman. S''. zufar'' was first identifie ...

'' Randall & Hoover, 1995 (Dhofar parrotfish)

In political thought

Cesare Ripa Cesare Ripa (c. 1555, Perugia – Rome) was an Italian iconographer who worked for Cardinal Anton Maria Salviati as a cook and butler. Life Little is known about his life. He was born of humble origin in Perugia about 1555. The exact dat ...

's Renaissance iconography, the ''scarus'' fish symbolised civil "Union," i.e. the joining together of individuals into a collective body.

Plutarch Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ...

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."Hont, I. ''Jealousy of Trade: International Competition and the Nation-State in Historical Perspective''. Harvard UP: 2005, pp. 21-22.

Gallery

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q258514 Scaridae Extant Rupelian first appearances Marine fish genera Taxa named by Peter Forsskål Rupelian genus first appearances Taxonomy articles created by Polbot