Parrotfish (named because their mouths resemble a parrot's beak) are a clade (a fundamental grouping in evolutionary biology consisting of a single common ancestor and all of its descendants) of fish placed in the subfamily Scarinae of the wrasse family (Labridae). Formerly treated as their own family (Scaridae), genetic studies found them to be deeply nested within the wrasses, and they are now treated as a subfamily (Scarinae). With roughly 95 species, the group's largest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific. They are found in coral reefs, rocky coasts, and seagrass beds, and can play a s
Scaridae is a group of colorful reef fish commonly called parrotfish, named for their distinctive beak-like mouths that resemble a parrot's beak. Though once classified as their own family, genetic research revealed that the roughly 95 species of parrotfish are actually a subfamily within the wrasse family, and they play an important role in coral reef ecosystems across the Indo-Pacific region.
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Parrotfish (named because their mouths resemble a parrot's beak) are a clade (a fundamental grouping in evolutionary biology consisting of a single common ancestor and all of its descendants) of fish placed in the subfamily Scarinae of the wrasse family (Labridae). Formerly treated as their own family (Scaridae), genetic studies found them to be deeply nested within the wrasses, and they are now treated as a subfamily (Scarinae). With roughly 95 species, the group's largest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific. They are found in coral reefs, rocky coasts, and seagrass beds, and can play a significant role in bioerosion because they eat away at the corals. This activity is also often attributed to enriching the sand content on the surrounding ocean floor.
==Taxonomy== Traditionally, the parrotfishes have been considered to be a family level taxon, Scaridae. Although phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses of parrotfish are ongoing, they are now accepted to be a clade in the wrasses closely related to the tribe Cheilini, and are now commonly referred to as scarine labrids (tribe Scarini, family Labridae). Some authorities have preferred to maintain the parrotfishes as a family-level taxon, resulting in Labridae not being monophyletic (unless split into several families).
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