Pink parrot fish—
p. 105 · Read in the full issue
coral killer!
It appears that the crown of thorns starfish is not the only reef resident causing trouble with its destruction to coral these days. According to The Great Barrier Reef by Alan Power, the harmless looking parrot fish is getting more than his fair share of the coral too.
To quote Mr. Power, whose photographs liberally adorn this very comprehensive look at the world’s greatest reef: “Mainly herbivorous, they (pink parrot fish) remove vegetable matter and invertebrates from the coral with their strong parrot-like beaks. As coral is also re moved with each bite, the parrot fish are an important source of coral reef erosion”.
(The Great Barrier Reef, Paul
Hamlyn Pty. Ltd., $3.95).