Scarus

Scarus
Temporal range: Early Oligocene to Present[1]
Scarus ferrugineus, terminal phase
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Scaridae
Genus: Scarus
Forsskål, 1775
Species

52 recognized species, see article.

Scarus is a genus of parrotfish. With at least fifty-two currently recognised extant species, it is by far the largest genus in this group. 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 and eastern Atlantic. Most are very colourful, and have strikingly different initial (males and females) and terminal (males only) phases. Most species have a maximum length between 30 and 50 centimetres (12 and 20 in), but the rainbow parrotfish (Scarus guacamaia) reaches 1.2 metres (3.9 ft).

Species

References

  1. ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: 560. http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class. Retrieved 2007-12-25.