sea urchins

The behavioral adaptations unique to stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) are pharyngeal teeth used to grind coral, an hermaphroditic life style allowing them to change sex, and surrounding themselves in a mucous cocoon at night for protection.

Parrotfish have a set of pharyngeal teeth which are used to grind up corals. This adaptation helps them reduce interspecies competition for food resources within the reef community. A second adaptation that they exhibit is their hermaphroditic life style. This lets them change sex in response to fluctuations in population density. The third amazing characteristic of parrotfish is that at night they surround themselves in a mucous cocoon to protect them when they sleep.

Rainbow parrotfish was created in 1829.

Midnight Parrotfish was created in 1840.