Parrot fish

Keywords: Parrot Fish

Filmed at various sites at the Great Barrier reef. Parrotfishes are a group of fishes that traditionally have been considered a family (Scaridae), but now often are considered a subfamily (Scarinae) of the wrasses. They are found in relatively shallow tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world, but with the largest species richness in the Indo-Pacific. The approximately 90 species are found in coral reefs, rocky coasts and seagrass beds, and play a significant role in bioerosion.The pharyngeal teeth grind up coral rock the fish ingest during feeding. After they digest the rock, they excrete it as sand, helping to create small islands and the sandy beaches of the Caribbean. One parrotfish can produce 90 kg of sand each year.Almost all species are sequential hermaphrodites, starting as females (known as the initial phase) and then changing to males (the terminal phase).Prior to going to sleep, some species extrude mucus from their mouths, forming a protective cocoon that envelops and secures the fish at a particular location and, presumably hides its scent from predators.This mucus envelope may also act as an early warning system, allowing the parrotfish to flee when it detects predators such as moray eels disturbing the protective membrane. The mucus has antioxidant properties that may serve to repair bodily damage, or repel parasites, and to provide added protection from UV light.