Madeira Canary Islands Azores – Fishes Dr. Peter Wirtz

There are about 80 species in the family parrot fishes. In almost all of them, the male is colourful and the
female drab grey or brown or green. It is the opposite in the European parrotfish: the male is gray (upper
photo, in the foreground, being cleaned by two young Turkish wrasses), while the female is colourful (upper
photo in the background and lower photo). The colour of juveniles (below) is quite variable. The teeth of
parrot fishes have fused to form a beak resembling that of a parrot. With these beaks they are able to bite off
fairly hard organisms (animals and plants). Most parrot fishes are prototogynous sex changers (female first,
later in life male) but the European parrot fish is not: juveniles turn into either females or males. Large
territorial males own a harem of females. Non-territorial males occasionally move in groups. Reproductive
season July to September. All photos Peter Wirtz.
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Weevers (Trachinidae)
Greater weever (Trachinus draco) photo top right
Up to 35 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands. 1 – 200 m depth.
Streaked weever (Trachinus radiatus) photo bottom right
Up to 42 cm long. Canary Islands. 1 – 100 m depth.
Lesser weever (Echiichthys vipera) photo below
Up to 15 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 1 – 20 m depth.
Weevers usually are buried in the sand and wait for fish to catch. The Streaked weever also often lies quite
openly on sandy bottom. The first dorsal fin of weevers consists of strong spines with poison glands at the
base. Normally, to be stung by a weever is not dangerous but incredibly painful. Photos Peter Wirtz.