AnimalsCoral Reef
Parrotfish Fun facts for kids
Scarus guacamaia
The parrotfish lives on coral reefs in the Caribbean and eats algae it scrapes off coral.
- Where it lives
- on coral reefs in the Caribbean
- What it eats
- algae it scrapes off coral
- How big it is
- can grow longer than a cat
Fun facts about the parrotfish
The ones Sammy likes best. She tells them in the game, too.
The bits of coral it eats come out as fine white sand, so it helps make sandy beaches!
At night, many parrotfish blow a see-through slime bubble around themselves, like a cozy sleeping bag.
Its teeth are joined together into a hard beak, just like a parrot's, and that's how it got its name.
It has extra teeth in its throat that grind up the hard bits of coral and rock it scrapes off.
It swims by flapping its side fins like wings, and uses its tail for quick bursts of speed.
It is often called the biggest plant-eating fish in the whole Atlantic Ocean.
By munching algae, it keeps coral reefs from getting covered up and smothered.
Riddle
Can a friend guess it?
Read the clues to someone, one at a time, without saying the animal. How many clues do they need? Fewer is better, just like in the game.
I live in warm, shallow sea water near coral, and I sleep at night.
I swim by flapping my side fins like wings, and I use my tail to dash fast.
At night I blow a see-through slime bubble around me, like a cozy sleeping bag.
I scrape algae off coral, and the bits I swallow come out of me as white sand.
I'm bright and colorful, and my teeth are joined into a hard beak like a talking bird's.
Sammy might be thinking of a parrotfish.
In Thought Zoo, Sammy picks an animal and you ask her yes-or-no questions to find it. You'll find the parrotfish in the Coral Reef adventure.
Play the Coral ReefComing to iPad, iPhone and Android on 12 January 2027
