Meet the colorful and quirky parrotfish!
With more than 80 species, they swim among the world’s tropical reefs, mimicking the sea’s diverse color palettes wherever they are.
Individual species are often hard to identify because as they grow, parrotfish can dramatically change their shape, color, size, and even sex.
By day, parrotfish spend most of their time eating, and play an essential role in removing excess algae from the reef.
Some use their parrot-like front teeth to scrape algae from the reef, or break off chunks of coral.
A second row of teeth in their throat grinds down the coral, allowing them to eat the algae.
The result: a healthy and vibrant reef and sand that the parrotfish recycles back to the seafloor.
One large parrotfish can produce about 1,000 pounds of sand each year!
Be sure to keep an eye out and listen for colorful parrotfish chomping on a reef in your national marine sanctuaries!
Note: This video was produced for NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, which is a trustee and protector of America’s most iconic underwater parks and marine resources.
