How to Identify Midnight Parrotfish

Video Transcript

"The fish that we are going to identify now is the Midnight Parrotfish. Parrotfish species are among the most common fish species seen on coral reefs and they are among the most colorful fish species seen on the reef. One of the most distinctive parrotfishes however is the Midnight Parrotfish. In its terminal adult phase, the Midnight Parrotfish is one of the largest fish you might see patrolling the reef, since they can reach three feet in length. In addition the coloring is very distinctive. Almost entirely dark blue with a little bright blue markings just around the mouth. Sometimes the body scales will appear to have a brighter blue center. As with all parrotfishes, the Midnight Parrotfish feeds on coral polyps and algae by using it's parrotlike beak to scrap food off the reef. If you are anywhere close to a feeding Midnight Parrotfish, you should be able to hear the scraping noise of their teeth on the coral. Because they ingest some of the coral skeleton when they feed, Midnight Parrotfish, like all parrotfish contribute to the sand accumulation around the reefs when they defecate. That's the Midnight Parrotfish."