Distribution:
Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific.
Habitat:
Marine; tropical waters.
Remarks:
Distributed circumglobally, Parrotfishes have parrot-like teeth and mouth incapable of extending forward. They possess 9 dorsal fin spines with 10 soft rays and 3 anal fin spines with 9 soft rays, 11 branched rays on caudal fin, large cycloid scales, and 25 vertebrae.
Parrotfishes are herbivorous, grazing on dead coral substrates. All members of this family use labriform locomotion and primarily use their pectoral fins for swimming. Similar to wrasses, sex change is common in this family, starting with an initial phase of both males and females, and the latter changing into a colorful male in terminal phase.
The family comprises ten genera with 88 species.
References: Nelson 2006