How Parrotfish Save Coral Reefs and Build Beaches
The reef-saver parrotfish, these colorful tropical species, are beautiful and play an important role in keeping marine ecosystems healthy. Learn more about them and read why parrotfish and parrotfish poop are so important!
What Are Reef Saver Parrotfish?
Importance of Parrotfish in Marine Ecosystems
Reef-saver parrotfish are key players in maintaining coral reef health and balance. Their feeding habits help keep reefs clean from algae overgrowth, which can suffocate corals. Without these fish, many coral reefs would struggle to survive.
Where Can You See Reef Saver Parrotfish?
Parrotfish are among the most well-known tropical fish. Over 80 species live in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. Thanks to their shallow water presence, they can be observed easily while snorkeling. Interestingly, the Mediterranean Parrotfish is not as colorful as the rainbow Parrotfish living on the Red Sea coral reefs.
The European species are rather brownish with yellow and grey spots; this is how they best match the environment’s colors. They live mainly in the Mediterranean Sea but also around Portugal, the Azores, and the Canary Islands all the way to Senegal. The largest parrotfish population lives in the Indo-Pacific. Their average adult size is 30-50 cm. The biggest one, the Green Humphead Parrotfish, can reach up to 1.3 meters.
How Parrotfish Keep Coral Reefs Clean
Parrotfish Diet and Its Impact on Coral Health
Their diet consists mainly of algae, seaweed, and invertebrates like zooplankton, bacteria, and detritus. This means that parrotfish feed on organisms that might overgrow and kill corals without the presence of these fish. Only a few larger species, like the Green Humphead Parrotfish, feed extensively on corals. In the past, scientists worried that parrotfish could damage reefs by breaking off living corals.
However, studies have shown that less than 1% of parrotfish eat healthy corals, while the rest seek algae-covered surfaces only to feed. Ultimately, the damage that species feed on living corals is far less than the benefit that algae-eating reef-saver parrotfish provide. Their importance is inestimable in the Caribbean, too, where they also help to protect corals from fast-growing sea sponges that might cause extensive damage.
Parrotfish Teeth: Nature’s Powerful Reef Cleaners
To be able to crunch up corals all day long, parrotfish teeth must be robust. To get the algae from the tiny coral chunk, they need a powerful bite to pulverize it. The colorful rainbow parrotfish have a unique teeth structure similar to sharks. They have more than 1000 sharp teeth arranged in approx. Fifteen rows that are growing continuously.
Parrotfish have some of the most complex teeth among marine creatures. They are surrounded by bone that forms a solid beak, and each tooth is cemented to the others. The inner structure of the parrotfish teeth is also interesting. Fluorapatite crystals join together to create a complex fiber nanostructure, giving the teeth extreme stiffness and durability. This remarkable structure has inspired scientists and designers who study how these natural formations could inform the development of more durable human-made materials. (Added text for elaboration)
Parrotfish and Beach Formation: How Sandy Beaches Are Made
The Role of Parrotfish in Producing White Coral Sand
What would you feel if I told you that you are walking on parrotfish poop on the world’s most beautiful white-sandy beaches? Well, this is the truth!
The reef-saver parrotfish not only cleans the corals of algae but also has a role in providing sand to build and maintain coral reef islands. After the parrotfish digest the edible algae and microorganisms from the tiny coral piece he broke off, the pulverized inedible parts they excrete as white limestone sand. This white coral sand will be washed off on land, building the breathtaking white sandy beaches of the Maldives coral islands, for example.
The Green Humphead Parrotfish can produce 90-100 kg of sand per year, but smaller species are also almost 250 grams daily. Researchers say that coral reef islands are among the most vulnerable landforms to climate change and especially to future sea-level rise. Studies demonstrate the critical link that exists between the ecology of the reefs that surround these islands and the processes of sand supply. With these facts in mind, it is not a question anymore that parrotfish are one of the most important species on coral reefs!
Parrotfish Species That Contribute Most to Beach Formation
Among the parrotfish species, the Green Humphead Parrotfish stands out due to its massive size and ability to produce substantial amounts of sand annually. This species, in particular, plays an important role in maintaining the physical landscape of coral reef islands, which rely heavily on this sand for their formation and stability. (Added text for explanation)
Tip: are you interested in marine biology? Read how many arms do starfish have and learn interesting facts about Christmas Tree Worms!
Threats to Parrotfish and Coral Reefs
Overfishing and Declining Parrotfish Populations
Former studies that investigated Caribbean reefs pinpointed interesting results. Marine biologists studied more than 90 reefs around Jamaica and the Virgin Islands and stated that more than 50 % of the corals disappeared since the 1970s. Firstly, they thought the main reason was climate change. But long-term monitoring proved that the most important factor in coral destruction is that there are not enough reef cleaner species (including reef saver parrotfish) in the region.
The Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network 2014 report stated that overfishing is the main reason for the decreasing parrotfish population. The reduced number of species upsets the delicate balance of coral ecosystems. Around other islands in the region, where the parrotfish population is big enough, the reefs are in better condition.
For example, the parrotfish population is considered healthy in the Gulf of Mexico and on Aruba coral reefs. Reef-saver parrotfish play a key role in keeping coral clean and healthy. If there are not enough parrotfish around a reef, algae and seaweed simply kill the corals.
Consequences of Losing Parrotfish for Coral Reefs
The loss of reef-saver parrotfish directly impacts coral health. Without these fish to clean algae and seaweed off coral surfaces, the reefs are unable to recover from other stressors, such as climate change and pollution. This leads to a rapid decline in coral cover and negatively impacts marine biodiversity.
How to Help Save Parrotfish and Protect Coral Reefs
Conservation Efforts for Parrotfish
Keeping marine ecosystems healthy is a complex topic. It includes dealing with rising sea temperatures, acidification, and plastic pollution and protecting marine species that have a crucial role in maintaining the balance of the reefs. Parrotfish have juicy meat and served all over the world for a long time. But by now, due to overfishing, the reef-saver parrotfish population is declining worldwide. Healthy parrotfish populations support the balance of the vibrant coral reefs and the livelihood of thousands of people.
Campaigns worldwide lobby for adding the parrotfish to the protected list and urge strict regulation of fishing and parrotfish hunting. Moreover, education also plays a key role. Teaching fishermen to hunt for other species that are also edible but dangerous for marine ecosystems, like the invasive lionfish, might help to stop the population decrease.
Education and Sustainable Fishing Alternatives
Educating fishing communities about the role of parrotfish in coral reef ecosystems is critical for long-term conservation. Promoting the hunting of invasive species like lionfish, which are a threat to marine life, can offer an alternative to overfishing parrotfish.
