Singapore Parrotfish

Found in large schools, foraging for food over shallow, protected reef flats, and seaward reef slopes, although more often over outer reefs rich in algae growth.

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.

- Build-in beak: The parrot-like 'beak' isn't just for show. It's made of fused teeth strong enough to scrape algae off of rock and coral. If you listen whilst snorkelling or diving, you can often hear the crunching sounds

- Gender swap: These Singapore Parrotfish start their life as females. Later on in life, some transform into males, complete with new colors and social roles.
- Night bags: At night, parrotfish secrete a slimy mucus cocoon around themselves. It acts like a sleeping bag, hiding their scent from predators such as moray eels.
- Sand makers: By grinding up algae and bits of coral, they literally poop out fine white sand. A single parrotfish can produce hundreds of kilograms of sand per year.
- Social butterflies: they're often seen in big schools, sometimes mixed with other parrotfish species, making the reef look like an underwater parade of color.

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