Algae-eating parrotfish, like other herbivorous reef fish, play an important role in coral reef ecosystems by removing the algae that compete with corals. According to the study, the decline in ...

But reefs where parrotfish are unprotected have suffered tragic declines. These “failure reefs” are places where a variety of local human impacts have been allowed to run unchecked: not just by ...

Some parrotfish species graze by biting off chunks of coral, especially from dead skeletons, and grinding it in their digestive systems, excreting it as sand.

Parrotfish munching on algae ingest coral and then eliminate the rocky substrate, creating island-building grade sediment in places like the Maldives. Julia Rosen reports ...

Corals are the reef builders, and parrotfish the demolishers, and that makes them both super-important. By crunching coral into sand that washes up on beaches, parrotfish help islands rise. What they ...

Large parrotfish will gouge into the coral’s exoskeleton, using their teeth to excavate their meals. It’s been estimated that a bumphead parrotfish can take over 4.5 tonnes of reef material each year ...

JAMAICANS love parrotfish. Steamed, fried or roasted, the brightly coloured sea creature is a common feature on many a dinner plate. It’s also a favourite at the beach and at roadside eateries ...

Parrotfish play a huge role in keeping algae in check, though they can get a bit carried away. Some species have evolved to not only skim the algae off the top, but gnaw a few millimeters down to ...

A vividly coloured fish could be the key to saving the Caribbean's coral reefs from plummeting into terminal decline, scientists claim. Their research forecasts that reefs risk being damaged beyond ...

A dead parrotfish is displayed on the ground at Long Key Bridge Monday, May 26, 2025. Monroe County Sheriff's Office Two Homestead men were given notices to appear in court after a Florida Keys ...