Stoplight Parrotfish - Turks & Caicos Islands

One of the most beautifully colored fish in the Caribbean is the stoplight parrotfish. Parrotfish are very
common among coral heads where they feed off the coral by pulverizing it with their beaks. The above
parrotfish was photographed at night while he was sleeping. Parrotfish create a thin cocoon or bubble of
mucus around their bodies at night to mask their "scent" from night time predators looking
to snack on sleeping fish. You can see part of this "cocoon" in the above photo.

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Photo ©1995 Mark M. Magner
Photos can not be used without permission.