Parrotfish
| Parrotfish Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scarus frenatus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Labriformes |
| Family: | Labridae |
| Subfamily: | Scarinae Rafinesque, 1810 |
| Genera | |
Parrotfish (named because their mouths resemble a parrot's beak) are a clade of fish placed in the subfamily Scarinae of the wrasse family (Labridae). Historically considered as the family Scaridae, genetic studies found them to be deeply nested within the wrasses, and they are now treated as a subfamily. With roughly 95 species, the group's largest species richness is in the Indo-Pacific. They are herbivores or corallivores inhabiting coral reefs, rocky coasts, and seagrass beds, and can play a significant role in bioerosion as some species eat away at the corals. This activity often contributes to enriching the sand content on the surrounding ocean floor.