Sparisoma
Encyclopedia
Sparisoma is a genus
of parrotfish
es native to warmer parts of the Atlantic. FishBase
recognize 13 species in this genus, but another was described from Trindade Island in 2010 and a species from the Gulf of Guinea
still has not been formally described
. They are the main grazers of algae in the Caribbean
since sea urchin
s, the former main grazers, experienced a mass extinction and were supplanted by the parrotfishes.
The name was proposed by William John Swainson as a subgenus of Scarus
. "Sparus" in Latin
is a golden-headed fish, and "soma" means "body". The common spelling "Sparisomus" is incorrect.
The size of parrotfishes of this genus range from the rather small-sized S. radians with a known maximum length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in) to the large S. viride, which reaches lengths of up to 64 centimetres (25.2 in).
Members of this genus are sequential hermaphrodites, starting as females (known as the initial phase) and then changing to males (the terminal phase). However, some males are direct-developing, and these usually resemble the initial phase. These direct-developing and terminal phase males often display different mating strategies. In most species, the terminal phase is more colourful than the initial, but a notable exception to this rule is S. cretense. They use their pectoral fins to move: the caudal fin is reserved for rapid bursts of speed.
The genus Sparisoma is fairly successful, but populations have been falling somewhat because of overfishing
and other human activities. However, as mentioned above, it is the main grazer of algae, but since populations have been falling, the coral reefs may be at risk, for it is now known that too much algae
is deleterious to coral
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of parrotfish
Parrotfish
Parrotfishes are a group of fishes that traditionally had been considered a family , but now often are considered a subfamily of the wrasses. They are found in relatively shallow tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world, but with the largest species richness in the Indo-Pacific...
es native to warmer parts of the Atlantic. FishBase
FishBase
FishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish species . It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web...
recognize 13 species in this genus, but another was described from Trindade Island in 2010 and a species from the Gulf of Guinea
Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean between Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian is in the gulf....
still has not been formally described
Binomial nomenclature
Binomial nomenclature is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin grammatical forms, although they can be based on words from other languages...
. They are the main grazers of algae in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
since sea urchin
Sea urchin
Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull...
s, the former main grazers, experienced a mass extinction and were supplanted by the parrotfishes.
The name was proposed by William John Swainson as a subgenus of Scarus
Scarus
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...
. "Sparus" in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
is a golden-headed fish, and "soma" means "body". The common spelling "Sparisomus" is incorrect.
The size of parrotfishes of this genus range from the rather small-sized S. radians with a known maximum length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in) to the large S. viride, which reaches lengths of up to 64 centimetres (25.2 in).
Members of this genus are sequential hermaphrodites, starting as females (known as the initial phase) and then changing to males (the terminal phase). However, some males are direct-developing, and these usually resemble the initial phase. These direct-developing and terminal phase males often display different mating strategies. In most species, the terminal phase is more colourful than the initial, but a notable exception to this rule is S. cretense. They use their pectoral fins to move: the caudal fin is reserved for rapid bursts of speed.
The genus Sparisoma is fairly successful, but populations have been falling somewhat because of overfishing
Overfishing
Overfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans....
and other human activities. However, as mentioned above, it is the main grazer of algae, but since populations have been falling, the coral reefs may be at risk, for it is now known that too much algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
is deleterious to coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
.
Species
- Sparisoma amplum (Ranzani, 1842)
- Greenblotch parrotfish, Sparisoma atomarium (Poey, 1861)
- Redband parrotfish, Sparisoma aurofrenatum (ValenciennesValenciennesValenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
, 1840) - Sparisoma axillare (Steindachner, 1878)
- Redtail parrotfish, Sparisoma chrysopterum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
- Mediterranean parrotfishSparisoma cretenseSparisoma cretense, the Mediterranean parrotfish, is a species of fish found at depths down to along rocky shores of the Mediterranean and the east Atlantic from Portugal south to Senegal...
, Sparisoma cretense (Linnaeus, 1758) - Sparisoma frondosum (Agassiz, 1831)
- Sparisoma griseorubrum Cervigón, 1982
- Bucktooth parrotfish, Sparisoma radians (ValenciennesValenciennesValenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
, 1840) - Redfin parrotfish, Sparisoma rubripinne (ValenciennesValenciennesValenciennes is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies on the Scheldt river. Although the city and region had seen a steady decline between 1975 and 1990, it has since rebounded...
, 1840) - Strigate parrotfish, Sparisoma strigatum (Günther, 1862)
- Sparisoma tuiupiranga Gasparini, Joyeux & Floeter, 2003
- Stoplight parrotfishStoplight parrotfishThe Stoplight parrotfish is a sex-changing fish inhabiting coral reefs in Florida, Bahamas, the Caribbean, eastern Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda, and Brazil. Its typical length is between 30 and 45 cm, but it can reach 60 cm at times...
, Sparisoma viride (Bonnaterre, 1788)