The lifespan of the red parrotfish is usually 4 to 5 years.
They are mainly distributed in places like Taiwan, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Hainan, Guangdong and Fujian in China, as well as in the waters of the Western Pacific Ocean, the Western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. Parrotfish inhabit the mixed areas of reefs and sand, mainly living at a depth of 30 to 50 centimeters below the surface of tropical and subtropical oceans.
They are carnivorous fish and feed on small benthic animals. There is a row of teeth on both the upper and lower jaws, enabling them to bite off seaweed, corals, sea urchins and even poisonous food. Parrotfish play an important role in the coral reef ecosystem, because they can excrete sand and help corals turn into sand.