When looking to identify why the parrotfish are caught, large-scale companies seem to catch parrotfish as a bycatch. In a 2021 study conducted by the Perry Institute of Marine Science, it was found that parrotfish are harvested by almost every gathering group examined in the Caribbean, whether it be local or large-scale fisheries. Parrotfish may not seem like a classic item on a menu, but they are still getting widely fished across the entire Caribbean for consumption purposes. History of Overfishing: Who/what organizations is/are overfishing them Coral can be harmed by too much algae growth but due to the herbivorous diet of these fish the algae is constantly being checked and prevented from getting out of hand. The larger importance of these fish is that they keep coral reefs clean and healthy. However, parrotfish are caught throughout the Caribbean regardless in both local and commercial fisheries. After the eggs are fertilized they become a part of the plankton in the ecosystem and will float around until they end up settling in rocks or coral.Ī commercial fishery does exist for some species of parrotfish. Since Parrotfish are pelagic spawners they will release their sperm and eggs directly into the water column to be fertilized. After a fish assumes the terminal phase as a male they will begin their reproduction process. Parrotfish begin reproduction by a female fish switching to be a male parrotfish if there were not any already in the group. Although coral is important to their diet, no species of parrotfish consumes more than 50% of their diet from coral. Parrotfish have been found to make over 200 pounds of this sand a year. However, Parrotfish are also known to eat coral and after their digestion it comes back out as the white sand found on beaches. The largest portion of this fish's diet comes from algae that grows on rocks. Most Parrotfish are herbivores and do not eat meat. The largest variety of parrotfish is within the Indo-Pacific. They are mostly found living in coral reefs in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans although they can also live near coastlines or in seagrass beds. Parrotfish can commonly be found in shallow waters due to the abundance of coral in these regions. Stoplight Parrotfish (left: initial phase, right: terminal phase).
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