1- Their diet...this consists mainly of algae taken from chunks of coral that the parrotfish rips from the reef with its beak (hence the name parrotfish). Most of the sand around the parrotfish's locale is actually the ground up, undigested coral that it has excreted!
2- Their gender...with the loss of the "harem's" male, the dominant female will change her gender to male within a matter of weeks. This involves changing her colouration, and gives her the right to mate with the remaining females.
3- Their pyjamas...at night time, certain species secrete a mucous 'sleeping bag' from a gland in their heads. This nightgown protects them from parasites and nocturnal predators like moray eels.
Parrotfish are found in all tropical waters all over the world. There are over 90 different species of parrotfish ranging in size from less that 1, to 4 feet, the largest being the bumphead parrotfish which can weigh in at more than 100 lbs!
They are rarely consumed in the US, but are readily available in the markets here in Asia and taste pretty good fresh off the BBQ! In Polynesia it is served raw, and was once considered to be "royal food", only eaten by the king.
No comments:
Post a Comment