Parrotfish (Scientific name : Scaridae) are commonly found in Bonaire’s waters and apart from being beautiful colorful fish, they also play an important role in the preservation of Bonaire’s coral reefs! Other names for these fish on the island are “Gutu” in Papiamentu, “Pez Loro” in Spanish and “Papegaaivis” in Dutch.

These fish are termed Parrotfish due to their “parrot-like” mouths which resemble the beak of a Parrot. Their strong beaks are highly effective at foraging algae off of coral reefs. The reef-algae smother the coral reefs and prevent them from receiving oxygen or distributing important bacteria. Parrotfish therefore play a crucial role in maintaining a healthy coral reef. For this reason Bonaire set out a law prohibiting fishing of Parrotfish in order to protect these crucial fish and assist in preserving Bonaire’s coral reefs.

The Parrotfish population in Bonaire is almost double compared to other reef areas in the Caribbean region and this factor has played an important role in Bonaire’s reef preservation campaigns.

Did you know that when you stand on a nice sandy beach that you need to be grateful to Parrotfish for the sand? Why! As while the Parrotfish grazes the algae off the reefs, they also take off the top layer of rock which they digest and proceed to excrete as sand, which in turn helps to contribute to the beautiful sandy beaches we all love to relax on. As a fun fact, one study once even suggested that 85% of the sand on a certain beach in the Maldives was generated solely by fish excrement!

Another interesting feature of the Parrotfish is that all, apart from one specie, are hermaphrodites. Meaning that they go through a sex change during their life cycle, they begin as females and later transition to males.

These fish are wonderfully colorful and easy to spot when you dive or snorkel. The “Queen Parrotfish” also interestingly sleeps in a layer of its own mucus, which is generated from its mouth. It’s thought that this can help to hide its smell from possible predators like Eels etc, and also protect it from small parasites and bacteria. The Rainbow Parrotfish (Scarus Guacamaia) is remarkably colorful and also Bonaire’s biggest Parrotfish. You can keep an eye out for it, but it will be hard to miss! They have been known to reach 1.2 meters in length and weigh up to 20 KG. The Rainbow Parrotfish have a very beautiful coloration, overall they are greenish-brown with dullish orange fins which tend to have a type of Greenish splash to it, and they also happen to have their biggest population here around Bonaire!

If you would like to read more on Parrotfish and other wonderful underwater creatures, you can read more on Bonaire’s National Parks Foundation webpage.