This adult Redband Parrotfish gets its name from the small red stripe near its mouth. This feature only shows up in adults, and the adults are colored very differently from the juveniles.

This Redband Parrotfish was about 10 inches long. Redband Parrotfish play an important role in the ecology of the tropical reef. These fish scrape algae from the surface of corals, helping to keep the corals healthy. Like other Parrotfishes, the Redband Parrotfish has a powerful beak that looks like a parrot's beak.

Compare this adult Redband Parrotfish to the juvenile Redband Parrotfish in the next section of e-ReefNews, Vol.4 No.10.

The reef below this Redband Parrotfish may be in trouble. To the left of the Redband Parrotfish is a patch of Star Corals. This colony of Star Corals does not look very healthy. Some of the polyps are nearly white. Coral polyps often turn white when they are in distress. There are also several areas of dead coral above and below the living patch. You can see the vacant holes on the surface of the coral that were once occupied by coral polyps. There are also a few patches of orange Sponges on this coral. Sponges often fight with corals, and maybe this is why this patch of Star Corals is in trouble.

--------------------

e-ReefNews and embedded illustrations are
Copyright © 2003, ReefNews, Inc.

ReefNews ® is a registered trademark of ReefNews, Inc.