Scarus
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Scarus Temporal range: Early Oligocene to Present |
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|---|---|
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| Scarus ferrugineus, terminal phase | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Scaridae |
| Genus: |
Scarus Forsskål, 1775 |
| Species | |
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about 52, see text |
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about 52, see text
Scarus is a genus of parrotfish. With at least 52 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 cm (12 and 20 in), but the rainbow parrotfish (Scarus guacamaia) reaches 1.2 m (3.9 ft).
In Ripa's Renaissance iconography, the scarus fish symbolised civil "Union," i.e. the joining together of individuals into a collective body. Plutarch 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."
Female Scarus falcipinnis
Male Scarus globiceps
Female Scarus psittacus
Male Scarus psittacus
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Wikipedia