It has white flesh and is very good to eat. Big specimens can weigh as much as 6 lb (2.7kg). It's a 55 gallon long tank and it has been cycling for about a week so far. Click on a term to search for related topics. Parrot fish are small to medium herbivores, generally non-aggressive fish but may fight with their own kind. They need large amounts of swimming space to graze and can be difficult to feed in captivity. Like most fish, male parrotfish contain harems of females. I've seen them seemingly team up with one another to corral prey. Most people will say “blood parrots are aggressive fish” and as much as that might be true, you can still house other fish with them. However, for the species I have eaten the flavor was very mild and buttery. Not only “can” they be, they are considered a delicacy in some regions (if you can get through the tough scales, a “tough nut” to crack). simply grilled with a dash of Jamaican carrot sauce. This is important because most of the reefs across the tropics are being smothered by algae because there are not enough parrotfish and other herbivores out there grazing. 1. And when they are left to chomp away, they do a brilliant job. The average size for the 80 identified species of parrotfish is 1-4 feet and they can live up to 7 years. You can bake it whole or fillet it for pan-frying to serve with a hardy sauce. While the parrot is not exactly the most adept hunter, it can be quite persistent, and in the confines of the aquarium smaller fish may vanish. A massive new report concludes that reefs where parrotfish were abundant in the 1980s are the reefs that are healthy now. These fish enjoy their privacy and are a relatively peaceful bunch. Unanswered Questions. There are many different species of parrotfish, and I would not be surprised if they varied quite a bit in flavor. They also use their beak to chip off coral and eat. Like spotties, they have quite small fleshy mouths and eat things like crabs, brittle stars, sea urchins, shrimps, and shellfish. In other words, they clean the reef. They spend up to 90% of their day nibbling. Parrot fish are small to medium herbivores, generally non-aggressive fish but may fight with their own kind. The blood parrot cichlid is a hybrid aquarium fish species around which notable controversy exists. They are also called scarlet parrot fish. can green cheek conures eat tuna, can parrots eat fish, can parrots eat shrimp, conure eat fish, conure eat salmon, do wild conures eat fish? Can you eat parrot fish? Tankmates for the parrot cichlid can include Oscar cichlids, Severus cichlids, or other mild fish – but absolutely not goldfish. Some parrotfish pick at pieces of rock with their powerful beaks … This species grows to a length of 45 cm. Remember that all fish contain mercury, but you can still have your fish and eat it too if you make your choices from the list above. Does jimmy capps have children. They’re especially playful once they get to know the other fish in the aquarium, and can be generally pleasant fish to have in a group tank. Hopefully it will finish soon, I can't wait to add fish! 3. Email this Page. The #1 thing we can do to ensure the health of coral reefs is to protect parrotfish. Do you know if they are a herbivore? Display Modes: Blood parrot tank mates are definitely a possibility, but you must choose the right fish to co-exist with your blood parrot. Thread Tools: Show Printable Version. These flamboyant, algae-eating, sand-pooping fish need to be left in the water.