Rainbow Parrot Fish

 

Rainbow Parrot Fish | Parrot fish named for their calcareous bird-like beak. Parrot fish use these beaks to crush and eat the small invertebrates that live in coral. Much of the sand and the sea floor of coral reefs are actually remains of meals from the Parrot fish, coral chew it, eat the invertebrates and spit out the remaining calcium. In most species, the first phase is dull red, brown or gray, while the terminal phase is vivid green or blue with bright pink or yellow spots. The remarkably different terminal and the first phases were first described as distinct species in some cases, but there are some species where the phases are similar.

Scientific classification
Kingdom:     Animalia
Phylum:     Chordata
Class:     Actinopterygii
Order:     Perciformes
Family:     Scaridae
Genus:     Scarus
Species:     S. guacamaia

As the name suggests, they are attractive colored fish with deep green bodies. The fins are orange with streaks of green extending out to the back and tail. There are two kinds of men; 'first phase' men are dull in color and look like women, whereas the 'terminal phase males are brightly colored. Parrot fish are so named because their unusual mouthparts. The teeth are fused with a parrot-like beak tough used for algae and other organic material scraped from the surface of corals to form.

 

An unusual feature of Parrot fish is that they are able to change gender, with women fully functional males. In a population, Rainbow Parrot Fish, or start as women or men (known as primary males). Females may be at some point in their lives male (secondary males). Populations that these two types of males are called "diandrous' which means' two men '. A terminal phase male defends a territory and a harem of females. If the man would die, the most dominant female will become the dominant male, her ovaries are still functional male testes.

In areas where adult coral reef habitat is associated with mangrove nursery habitat, the removal of mangroves has resulted in local extinction of the rainbow parrotfish. The present rate of destruction of mangroves, which is larger than that of tropical rain forest, will have severe consequences on the adjacent reef communities. There are also cases of deaths from poisoning. Further threats to reef ecosystems include pollution, global warming, overfishing and coastal development.