New study shows parrotfish are critical to coral reef island building
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - 18:10
in Biology & Nature
Parrot grind up coral during feeding and, after digesting the edible content, excrete the rest as sand, which can then be used in island building. As well as being a beautiful species capable of changing its colour, shape and even gender, new research published today shows that parrotfish, commonly found on healthy coral reefs, can also play a pivotal role in providing the sands necessary to build and maintain coral reef islands.