The main characteristics of parrotfish include their unique appearance, living habits, breeding methods, and their status in the ornamental fish market.
Parrotfish get their name because of their colorful body colors. Their body colors are mostly bright red, just like the gorgeous feathers on a parrot. Their bodies are oblong in shape, laterally compressed and tall. Their heads are short and tall, with the dorsal edge being sharply ridged. Their mouths are large and positioned at the front, and they can protrude. There are no canine teeth at the corners of their mouths, a feature that makes them more flexible when hunting for food. In addition, the scales of parrotfish are of medium size, and there are often four obvious horizontal bands on the sides of their bodies, adding more visual layers to their appearance.
Parrotfish mainly live underwater in tropical and subtropical oceans, distributed in regions such as the western Pacific Ocean, the Ryukyu Islands, the western Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea. In China, parrotfish are mainly distributed in Zhejiang, Shanghai, Hainan, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and other places, inhabiting the mixed reef and sand areas. They are carnivorous fish, feeding on small benthic animals, and they may even eat poisonous food. However, since they have organs in their bodies that can decompose and digest toxins, they will not be harmed by the toxins.
Parrotfish cannot breed offspring among themselves. Most parrotfish are hybrids formed by the crossbreeding of the red devil fish and the midas cichlid. Therefore, male parrotfish do not have reproductive ability, while female parrotfish can crossbreed with male fish of certain species to produce offspring. This hybrid characteristic gives parrotfish a high level of genetic diversity.
In the ornamental fish market, parrotfish are highly favored because of their bright body colors and lively personalities. They can not only add a vibrant atmosphere to the aquarium, but also become the first choice for many aquarium enthusiasts due to their ease of feeding. Parrotfish have relatively high requirements for water quality. They need a warm, stable, and clear water environment without impurities, and they also require a relatively large fish tank space to meet their growth needs. In addition, parrotfish have a diverse diet and need a variety of feeds to maintain the brightness of their body colors.