Parrotfish is the name of a group of about 75 species of fish that live around coral reefs in tropical and subtropical seas. They get their name from their unusual front teeth, which resemble a parrot’s beak.
Parrotfish range in size from 4 inches (10 centimeters) to more than 4 feet (1.2 meters). They have thick bodies covered with large, thick scales. Most parrotfish are brightly colored, and most change color during their lifetime. In some species, a fish born female will later become a male.
Parrotfish feed mostly on algae, which they scrape off rocks and corals with their strong teeth. Many parrotfish feed on sea grasses around coral reefs, often grazing in large schools. The queen parrotfish, which lives in tropical parts of the western Atlantic, sometimes grazes in groups of three or four females and one male. Parrotfish eat during the day and rest at night. Many species of parrotfish form a thin, transparent, cocoonlike covering around themselves at night and rest in it until daylight.
