Samandria Mitchell
Endangered Species
9*13*10

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Rainbow Parrotfish Scientific Name: Scarus guacamaia Category: Parrotfishes Size: 1.5 to
5 ft. (45 to 150 cm) Depth: 10-80 ft. (3-25 m) Distribution: Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida,
Bermuda

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 parrotfish common name for a member of the large family
Scaridae, colorful reef fishes of warm seas, resembling the wrasses but of a larger size.
Parrotfishes, also called pollyfishes, are so named for their powerful cutting-edged beaks, formed of fused incisorlike jaw teeth. With these they scrape from the surface of coral, algae, polyps, and other small plant and animal life upon which they feed.
Parrotfishes also have a set of grinding teeth, located in the throat in front of the esophagus, with which they further break up their food to prepare it for the action of digestive enzymes.
Common in Florida waters are the rainbow parrotfish, Scarus guacamaia, the largest (up to 3 ft/91 cm) of the family; the red and blue parrotfishes; and the oldwife.
Parrotfishes are not valued in the United States as food except in
Hawaii , where they are very popular and were once taboo (to be

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• Parrot fishes are elongated, usually rather bluntheaded and deep-bodied, and often very brightly colored.
• They have large scales and a characteristic birdlike beak formed by the fused teeth of the jaws.
• The beak is used to scrape algae and the soft part of coral from coral reefs and is strong enough to leave noticeable scars in the coral.
• The parrot fishes grind their food and bits of coral with plate like teeth in their throats.

Cozumel, Mexico
Terminal Phase
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There's its gender, which they can change repeatedly throughout their lives, and their coloration and patterns, which are a classification nightmare, varying greatly, even among the males, females, and juveniles of the same species

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Parrotfish are able to change sex. That is females if needed may become males in order to reproduce.
The supermales are typically sex-reversed females and are strongly territorial, habitually driving other males from their areas.
Juveniles have been observed in mangroves adjacent to the reef.
These mangroves act as important nursery areas and also provide food-rich, predator free safe-havens for the growing young.

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The Rainbow Parrotfish (Scarus Guacamaia) male can grow up to a length of 1.2 meters, that makes it the largest herbivorous fish in the
Atlantic Ocean. What is interesting about the
Rainbow Parrotfish is that it is able to change its sex: females may become males. It is called like this because it’s a attractively colored fish and has unusual mouth parts. The
Rainbow Parrotfish has a high risk of extinction in the wild in the near feature.

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Some are cute and others aren’t so cute
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 http://earthsendangered.com/profile-
12922.html
 http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/parrotfish.a
spx
 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/res ources/Grzimek_fish/Labroidei/LabroideiII/v04_i d199_con_parrotf.jpg/view.html
 http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessumm ary.php?id=4968