Parrotfish

Parrotfish (Scaridae) are fish builds which have specced into a beak-like structure. They are playable in reef servers worldwide and are closely related to wrasse builds like Cleaner Wrasse and Humphead Wrasse.

## Overview

This build has above average Intelligence stat for a Fish build. It has below-average Health, but enough to tke some damage. This build's bight colors give it a really low Stealth stat. It also has a below-averge Mobility stat.It has the Powerstat required to access coral. Lastly, it has a high Defense stat.

## Feeding

Most Parrotfish players are herbivores, feeding mainly on Epilithic Algae. A wide range of other smaller players are sometimes eaten, including invertebrates (sessile and benthic species, as well as zooplankton), bacteria and detritus. A few mostly larger species such as the green humphead parrotfish (*Bolbometopon muricatum*) feed extensively on living coral (polyps). None of these are exclusive corallivores, but polyps can make up as much as half their diet or even more in the green humphead parrotfish. Overall it has been estimated that fewer than one percent of parrotfish bites involve live corals and all except the green humphead parrotfish prefer algae-covered surfaces over live corals. Nevertheless, when they do eat coral polyps, localized coral death can occur. Their feeding activity is important for the production and distribution of coral sands in the reef biome, and can prevent algal overgrowth of the reef structure. The teeth grow continuously, replacing material worn away by feeding. Whether they feed on coral, rock or seagrasses, the substrate is ground up between the pharyngeal teeth. After they digest the edible portions from the rock, they excrete it as sand, helping create small islands and the sandy beaches. The humphead parrotfish can produce 90 kg (200 lb) of sand each year. Or, on average (as there are so many variables i.e. size/species/location/depth etc.), almost 250 g (9 oz) per parrotfish per day. While feeding, parrotfish must be cognizant of predation by one of their main predators, the lemon shark. On Caribbean coral reefs, parrotfish are important consumers of sponges. An indirect effect of parrotfish grazing on sponges is the protection of reef-building corals that would otherwise be overgrown by fast-growing sponge species.

Datamining of how Parrotfish players get EXP describes three functional groups: excavators, scrapers and browsers. Excavators have specced even more heavily into jaws that can gouge the substrate, leaving visible scars on the surface. Scrapers have less powerful jaws that can but infrequently do leave visible scraping scars on the substrate. Some of these may also feed on sand instead of hard surfaces. Browsers mainly feed on seagrasses and their epiphytes. Mature excavating species include *Bolbometopon muricatum*, *Cetoscarus*, *Chlorurus* and *Sparisoma viride*. These excavating species all feed as scrapers in early juvenile stages, but *Hipposcarus* and *Scarus*, which also feed as scrapers in early juvenile stages, retain the scraping feeding mode as adults. Browsing species are found in the genera *Calotomus*, *Cryptotomus*, *Leptoscarus*, *Nicholsina* and *Sparisoma*. Feeding modes reflect habitat preferences, with browsers chiefly living in the grassy seabed, and excavators and scrapers on coral reefs.

Recently, the microphage feeding hypothesis challenged the prevailing paradigm of parrotfish as algal consumers by proposing that:

> Most Parrotfish players are microphages that target cyanobacteria and other protein-rich autotrophic microorganisms that live on (epilithic) or within (endolithic) calcareous substrata, are epiphytic on algae or seagrasses, or endosymbiotic within sessile invertebrates.
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## Moveset

**Mucus Shell (Active, Utility)**- Removes all parasitic debuffs and removes your smell, so gankers that rely on [Olfaction] will not detect you.

**Coral Tooth (Passive, Attack)**-Allows access to coral.

## Tier Placement

D-tier. It specced into a viable niche, which is accessing coral. Its scales also allow it to tank quite a few hits. However, once the ganker has found a way to bypass the armor or the [Mucus Shell], this build is essentially just free EXP.

## Referrences

1. ↑ https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Scaridae/
2. ↑ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/parrotfish
3. ↑ https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/animals-we-protect/parrotfish/
4. ↑ https://www.barrierreef.org/news/blog/five-fascinating-facts-about-parrotfish
5. ↑ https://seaworld.org/animals/facts/bony-fish/parrotfish/
6. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/animal/parrot-fish
7. ↑ https://www.fishkeepingworld.com/parrot-fish/
8. ↑ https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/205/9/i902/8892/Cruising-Round-the-Coral
9. ↑ https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2017/11/15/xrays-reveal-biting-truth-about-parrotfish-teeth/
10. ↑ https://marinesanctuary.org/blog/sea-wonder-parrotfish/
11. ↑ https://asknature.org/strategy/mucous-cocoon-protects-from-predators-2/