Parrot fish is a colorful species that belongs to Family
Scaridae and about 80 fish species are identified. Most of parrot fishes are
herbivorous and mainly feed on epilithic algae while some of them survive on
sessile and benthic invertebrates, zooplanktons, bacteria and detritus.
Parrot fishes can be found in relatively shallow
tropical ocean. The largest richness is known to be coral reefs, rocky coasts,
and seagrass beds. Those fishes grow up to 1.2 meter and maximum size can be
vary with the species.
Their dentition is the reason to introduce them as
parrot fish. Numerous teeth have been arranged in a tightly packed mosaic structure
on the external surface of their jaw bones and it is similar to the beak of a
parrot.
Local name for them is “Giraw”. Even though Sri Lankans
are not very interested in these fish, some countries widely consume this fish.
Parrot fishes also serve as a significant tourist attraction to Sri Lanka.
When talking about the service that parrot fishes
provide, we can observe that they eat algae and dead corals, normally 90% of
their day spend for nibbling. In addition to that, each parrot fish can create
700 pounds of sand each year in their lifetime! This fish plays a significant role
in Bio-erosion and also critical role in maintaining reef health. However, unfortunately
by now their numbers are so depleted and algae level are increasing due to overfishing.
Written by: Udani Jayasingha
References: www.britannica.com
en.m.Wikipedia.org
