Scaridae Parrotfishes
Diversity
Scarids, which are widely known as parrotfishes because of their beak-like jaws, include approximately nine genera and 83 species. They are abundant in tropical reefs around the world and well known to divers for their striking coloration and noisy feeding as they crunch on dead coral. Parrotfishes exhibit several types of complex mating systems that vary more by geographic location than by species (see Reproduction). They also have considerable ecological impacts on coral reefs through herbivory and bioerosion