Description

Also known as Rivulated Parrotfish, Scribble-faced Parrotfish, Tattooed Parrotfish.

Found in large schools, foraging for food, over silty coastal, coral and rocky reefs and in deep tide pools, over off-shore reefs rich in algae growth.
They feed on algae and corals.
Length - 40cm
Depth - 0-30m
Widespread Western Pacific

Parrotfish are hermaphrodites and live in harems with a dominant male. They are not territorial, living and feeding in harmony with other species.
Their teeth are fused into powerful beaks which are used for grabbing filamentous algae from dead coral, often found feeding in a cloud of sediment.
At night parrotfish make a sleeping bag out of slime bubbles for protection against predators.
These beautiful fish whose males usually outshine the females for colour also change dramatically from juvenile to adult. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/4969