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Home › Ocean Life › Marine Animals › Vertebrates › Parrotfishes

Interesting Facts about Parrot Fish

[Parrotfish Phylum: Chordata] [Class: Actinopterygii] [Order: Labriformes] [Family: Scaridae]

Scientists have validated almost one hundred (100) different species of parrotfishes, mostly grouped in the family of Scaridae and the wrasse family Labridae.

This section contains fun facts about 95 different species of parrotfish still in existence, including where they live, what they eat, and how they reproduce.

Parrotfish Habitats and Geographical Range

Having a preference for living on coral reefs in tropical and subtropical ocean waters means the best places to find the parrotfish species are:

• Indo-Pacific regions (e.g. the Philippines, Thailand, Great Barrier Reef, Indonesia)
• The Caribbean Sea
• The Red Sea
• Some parts of the Atlantic Ocean

In addition to that, you can also find some of them thriving at shallow shoreline seagrass beds and near coastal rocky substrates.

Not only do parrotfishes get shelter and food from coral reef formations (especially algae), the feeding behaviour of these "ecosystem engineers" helps to prevent excessive algae growth and maintain healthy reefs.

Pro Tip: This erosive action and the distribution of coral sands in marine biomes is only possible because of some special parrotfish adaptations in their dentition (the arrangement and structure of teeth). The jaw bone contains a fused mosaic of teeth that form a "parrot-like beak". This is how parrotfish scrape away coralline algae that grows on the surfaces of hard underwater structures and rocks.

Parrot Fish Characteristics

It's fair to describe the body shape of parrotfish as being somewhat elongated and laterally compressed. The head is quite rounded and they have large fish scales.

The variable and vivid colouration of the parrot fish family is one of the dominant features of these lively aquatic vertebrates.

Yet, the typical vibrant colours of blues, yellows, and greens can change according to their age, gender, and their social status.

But wait - there's more:

There are many different types of parrotfish, and most of the species are dichromatic. This means they exhibit a kind of sequential hermaphroditism and the males and females have different body colours.

Parrot fishes have a peculiar habit of secreting a mucus cocoon - often called a "sleeping bag". For example, the queen parrotfish excretes a protective mucus membrane from its mouth, completely shrouding the fish before it goes to sleep.

Experts assume that the reason is to evade scent-sniffing predators, such as moray eels. The fact that their skin also contains an antioxidant substance which helps the fish to repair damaged body parts and repel parasites is instrumental for the long-term survival of the species.

Parrotfish Size and Weight

The bluelip parrotfish (Cryptotomus roseus) is the smallest of the species and it rarely grows more than thirteen (13) centimetres long (5 inches).

By comparison, the green humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) is the biggest living parrotfish today, growing in excess of one metre long (4 feet).

Nonetheless, the average adult parrotfish will reach an overall length of about twenty (20) centimetres after full maturity and weigh about twenty (20) kilograms (45 pounds).

What Do Parrot Fish Eat?

Even though the diet can vary slightly according to the different kinds of parrot fish, for the most part parrotfishes are herbivores that consume copious amounts of algae.

Their daily diet and intake may also include:

• Coral reef polyps and the dead or damaged skeletons of coral (organic materials known as detritus)
• Planktonic organisms and zooplankton
• Seagrass
• Sea sponges
• Small marine invertebrates and other microorganisms, including sand (ingested as they feed and graze on coral and rock)

Parrot fish are known for excreting ground-up coral as fine sand. In turn, this type of bioerosion (the removal of calcium carbonate substrate) contributes to the formation of healthy coral reef habitats and soft sandy beaches.

Parrot Fish Species List

How Do Parrotfish Reproduce?

The relatively complex reproductive system of parrotfish involves various social structures, including the process known as hermaphroditism.

However, most parrotfishes are protogynous hermaphrodites so they begin life as a female - and some will later transform into a male (excluding the marbled parrotfish).

Because the mating strategy takes place through external fertilisation, males and females will release eggs and sperm into the water column.

Here's the thing:

The two mating systems are known as harem spawning (where a dominant male guards a group of females) and group spawning (a ritual that involves multiple males and females that release their gametes at the same time).

By and large, spawning takes place in the early morning and the fertilised eggs drift with warm water currents and planktonic organisms until they hatch into free-swimming larvae.

It can take several weeks for parrotfish larvae to settle on coral reefs and start growing into juveniles. This process increases their genetic diversity and it also means they can adjust their sex ratios (often based on populations and environmental conditions).

Threats and Predators

In the wild, parrotfish have several natural predators, including reef sharks (especially lemon sharks), moray eels, barracudas, and other large fish species (e.g. groupers and snappers).

In addition, some human-induced threats to their survival include:

• Climate change (resulting in varying degrees of coral bleaching).
• Illegal fishing practices (e.g. spearfishing) and overfishing.
• Underwater garbage pollution.
• Habitat degradation and destruction (including habitat loss from dynamite fishing).

Pro Tip: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species assessed most of the parrotfish family as being "Least Concern" (LC). However, they list the rainbow parrotfish (Scarus guacamaia) and Bower's parrotfish (Chlorurus bowersi) as being "Near Threatened" (NT).

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