Rainbow Parrotfish
Save the Endangered
Appearance and Diet
Coral reefs are the most important part of the rainbow parrotfishes' diet. They have a specific niche to find their food: algae and plankton (YA). To get the algae, they use their beaks to break off coral and grind it down. The algae is then consumed, and the leftover coral pieces are excreted as sand (UKD). Predators of the rainbow parrotfish are moray eels, bigger fish, octopi, and sharks (YA).
Rainbow Parrotfish
Lucy Arnold's note card painting.
Rainbow Parrotfish
Amanda Reichett-Brushett's acrylic painting on canvas.
Rainbow Parrotfish
Photo by Bob Klemow.
Habitat and Adaptations
Rainbow parrotfish survive in only salty, subtropical water in the corals (RP). To hide from predators, they obviously don't live where predators live. They also have an organ that produces and surrounds them in a jelly-like cocoon that masks their scent. The rainbow parrotfish have the beak-like mouth to break off the coral to get algae; they grind down the coral and it becomes waste. These fish live in narrow niches where there are algae. The largest and most colorful gets their own female. The smaller and less colorful parrotfish males have to share females. To reproduce, these fish have to change genders. Fortunately, there are still some rainbow parrotfishes around. If there were no parrotfishes, then the rest of the habitat will die from buildup of algae, which will cause no sunlight to pass through (Prezi).