Sparisoma chrysopterum

Sparisoma chrysopterum, common names the redtail parrotfish, blue parrotfish, kwab, pink kwab, pink parrot, blisterside, and blue black-finned chub,[1] is a species of parrotfish.[3]

"Kwab" redirects here. For other uses, see Kwab (disambiguation).

Sparisoma chrysopterum
Male specimen, terminal colour phase

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Labriformes
Family: Scaridae
Genus: Sparisoma
Species:
S. chrysopterum
Binomial name
Sparisoma chrysopterum
(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Synonyms[2]
  • Scarus chrysopterus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  • Sparus abildgaardi Bloch, 1791
  • Sparisoma abildgaardi (Bloch, 1791)
  • Scarus flavescens Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  • Sparisoma flavescens (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
  • Scarus squalidus Poey, 1860
  • Sparisoma squalidum (Poey, 1860)
  • Scarus brachialis Poey, 1861
  • Sparisoma brachiale (Poey, 1861)

Description

The upper end of the pectoral fin base shows black saddle-shaped markings while they are young adults. Commonly, there is a light, saddle-shaped area on top of caudal peduncle. The dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins are orange or red in colour.[2]

Juvenile specimens or those in the initial phase have a mottled pattern similar to the substratum. This provides camouflage when they rest on the sea floor.[2]

Distribution

This species lives in the western Atlantic Ocean from Brazil in the south, north to Florida and the Bahamas. It also occurs throughout the Caribbean Sea.[2]

Diet

Sparisoma chrysopterum This species grazes on seagrasses and algae growing in the benthic zone.[2]

Parasites

This species is known to host an ectoparasite in the genus Caligus named Caligus atromaculatus (C.B. Wilson, 1913).[3]

Species description and taxonomy

Sparisoma chrysopterum was first described as Scarus chrysopterus in 1801 by the German naturalists Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723-1799) and Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider (1750-1822) with the type locality given as "tropical western Atlantic".[4] When William John Swainson described the genus Sparisoma in 1839 he designated Sparus abildgaardi as its type species,[5] Although the specific name abildgaardi would appear to have precedence over chrysopterum, the latter is the more widely used name and the former was long mistakenly thought to be synonymous with Sparisoma viride.[6] The name Sparus abildgaardi was suppressed by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature and Scarus chrysopterus was recognised as the type species.[7]

References
  1. Rocha, L.A.; Choat, J.H.; Clements, K.D.; et al. (2012). "Sparisoma chrysopterum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012: e.T190738A17788150. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012.RLTS.T190738A17788150.en. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "Sparisoma chrysopterum" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Sparisoma chrysopterum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)". Marinespecies.org. 2008-01-15. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  4. Eschmeyer, W. N.; R. Fricke & R. van der Laan (eds.). "Scarus chrysopterus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  5. Eschmeyer, W. N.; R. Fricke & R. van der Laan (eds.). "Sparisoma". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 17 February 2020.
  6. Parenti, P.; J. E. Randall (2000). "An annotated checklist of the species of the Labroid fish families Labridae and Scaridae" (PDF). Ichthyological Bulletin of the J. L. B. Smith Institute of Ichthyology (68): 1–97.
  7. J.D.D. Smith (2001). Official Lists and Indexes of Names and Works in Zoology Supplement 1986-2000. The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature. ISBN 0853010072.
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