A beak-toothed reef herbivore that grazes algae from corals, producing much of the white sand of tropical beaches.
Where it lives
Parrotfish inhabit coral reefs and adjacent seagrass beds throughout the tropics. They feed by day across reef tops and slopes and retreat to crevices at night, often secreting a mucus cocoon that may mask scent from nocturnal predators.
How to recognise it
A heavy, oval body with vivid color in greens, blues, pinks, yellows, and oranges that change with life phase and species. The defining feature is the beak — fused jaw teeth form a parrot-like beak used to scrape algae off coral and limestone. A pharyngeal mill grinds the rock-and-algae mix.
Diet & behavior
Parrotfish bite, scrape, and rasp algae and dead coral, ingesting calcium carbonate and excreting it as fine white sand — a single large parrotfish can produce over 100 kg of sand per year. Many species are protogynous, changing from initial-phase females to terminal-phase males.
Fisheries & Conservation
Most listed as Least Concern, though regional overfishing (Caribbean, parts of Southeast Asia) damages reef health by removing key algae grazers, allowing algae to outcompete coral.