Steephead parrotfish

Parrotfish are among the most important reef engineers in tropical systems. Their fused beak-like teeth grind coral rock to access algae, and the resulting sand they excrete is a primary source of the fine white sand on Indian Ocean beaches. At Pointe des Aigrettes, schools of steephead parrotfish aggregate on the wall steps during the day and move to sandy patches to sleep at night, secreting a mucus cocoon as a predator alarm system.