Parrot fish

In appearance, the parrot fish is very similar to a barrel. The body is shortened and rounded. The fish got its commercial name "parrot" because of the unusual shape of the head and bright body color. The mouth is small, almost triangular in shape, arranged so that the lips do not close completely, and often from the outside it looks like a wide smile. The mouth can only be opened vertically at a small angle.

And if we recall the fact that many representatives of red parrots are artificially painted, tattooed, cut their tails, etc., the question of whether to interfere with natural processes remains open. However, it should be noted that the three-hybrid parrots attract attention with their unusual shape, bright color and interesting behavior, which has earned the love of many aquarists.

There is still heated debate in society about the ethical nature of the creation of such species. After all, in the process of hybridization in fish there is a significant displacement of body parts and internal organs, changing the shape of the mouth leads to the fact that the fish can eat only certain types of food.

The parrot fish (Red Parrot Cichlid) was first obtained by Taiwanese breeders in the early 90's. Information on which species became the basis for the hybrid is still a trade secret. One thing is clear - these were different types of South American cyclamen. The most likely candidates for the role of "ancestors" of red parrots:

Nature has given us a huge variety of fish species that can be kept in the aquarium. But the inquisitive human mind cannot be stopped, so artificial species created by human hands and never found in nature began to appear in ornamental fish farming. The red hybrid parrot is a great example of the creation of human hands.

Parrot fish are named for the structure of their jaws: their numerous teeth are arranged in a dense mosaic on the outside of the jaws, forming a "beak" resembling the beak of parrots, with which they are able to grind algae growing on reefs. Most species have bright colors of green, blue, red and yellow, but they are not very popular in aquariums. Their teeth are constantly growing, which requires solid food and makes artificial feeding inconvenient. Although these fish feed mainly on algae, small coral reef animals are sometimes neglected. Some species, such as Bolbometopon muricatum, feed on coral polyps, which are crushed by the teeth, and solid particles are excreted in the manure.