par·rot·fish

(păr′ət-fĭsh′)

n. pl. parrotfish or par·rot·fish·es

Any of various brightly colored tropical marine fishes of the family Scaridae, having fused teeth resembling a parrot's beak.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

parrotfish

(ˈpærətˌfɪʃ)

n, pl -fish or -fishes

1. (Animals) any brightly coloured tropical marine percoid fish of the family Scaridae, having parrot-like jaws

2. (Animals) Austral any of various brightly coloured marine fish of the family Labridae

3. (Animals) any of various similar fishes

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

par•rot•fish

(ˈpær ətˌfɪʃ)

n., pl. (esp. collectively) -fish, (esp. for kinds or species) -fish•es.

any tropical marine fish of the family Scaridae, having brilliant coloring and parrotlike jaws.

[1705–15]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

parrotfish - gaudy tropical fishes with parrotlike beaks formed by fusion of teeth

polly fish, pollyfish

percoid, percoid fish, percoidean - any of numerous spiny-finned fishes of the order Perciformes

family Scaridae, Scaridae - parrotfishes

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

In a study in Belize, localised fishing was controlled in a marine reserve in which grazing of algae by parrotfish was maintained, halving the rate of reef decline.

Act now to save world's reefs as coral endangered by bleaching; Professor and dean of postgraduate research at Bangor University John Turner looks at threatened species, as seen in Blue Planet II

Nestled on the coast of the Red Sea with its crystal clear waters - home to an abundance of colourful marine life such as lionfish, parrotfish, octopus and seahorses - Eilat has plenty of potential for adventure.

For winter sun, Eilat Israeli good... Clear seas and sunny skies make Israel's Red Sea beach destination Eilat a perfect escape in the UK's colder months, says GEORGINA STUBBS

And there is no better place than Dubai for deep sea fishing; the Gulf water houses a record catch boasting of over 500 marine species, including kingfish, tuna, dorado, queen fish, groupers, sailfish, parrotfish or even blacktip sharks -- some of which come in very impressive sizes.

Go fishing on your special day

Bright blue damselfish, green and purple parrotfish and dazzling orange clownfish illuminate the water just below me.

Reef encounter with an ocean giant; From swimming with whale sharks, to kayaking along secluded coastline, Western Australia's W Ningaloo Reef offers a wealth of opportunities for the outdoor adventurer, says PETE THOMPSON

At the bottom of a short cliff path, the Grand has its own beach and the Grand a magnificent reef attracting parrotfish, wrasse and puffer fish.

Egypt is full OF SHARM

Black tip reef shark, the Gulf parrotfish, and epaulet grouper are among those commonly found in this area, based on EDA's Reef Checks in Fujairah.

Marine life in UAE recovering in extreme conditions

For those that dive, an audience with a sleeping parrotfish is something to experience at night.

Fine Day for a Snooze

Then, having left the river and offloaded the tube, it was time for some serious snorkelling in this giant natural aquarium, spotting species such as angelfish, parrotfish and snappers.

The temples of doom

Fishes are the dominant prey item (79%), with parrotfish and eels being the most abundant fish prey.

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Bright corals and vivid nudibranchs provide the perfect backdrop for the wealth of colourful marine life, with every species imaginable in residence; from giant double-headed parrotfish, yellowtail fusiliers and sea turtles, to eagle rays, black-tipped reef sharks and barracudas.

Tanjong Jara takes the plunge

Comparisons of the archaeological assemblages from five makatea islands show that in all but one case, sites are dominated by groupers, unlike many other Pacific island sites where parrotfish are most frequent.

Prehistoric fishing strategies on the makatea island of Rurutu