Bahamas Stoplight Parrotfish

Taking a vacation to the Bahamas is a dream for many people, and many who spend any amount of time in the Bahamas often long to return. One of the most popular activities for those vacationing in the Bahamas is snorkeling due to the variety of beautiful fish that people can see on Bahamas Snorkel Tours. The stoplight parrotfish is one of many different types of species vacationers can see while snorkeling; this lovely, flashy fish can, like a stoplight, change a variety of things about itself.

Stoplight parrotfish can change the colors of their scales from red to green. As these fish mature, their scales change from a mottled, reddish-brown appearance to a brighter red or a green appearance depending on gender. Juvenile stoplight parrotfish and adult females have white spots on them, while male stoplight parrotfish have yellow scales on their tails as well as a yellow area of scales directly above the gills. Female stoplight parrotfish generally reach 5-10 inches long, while males reach a much longer 13-17 inches in length.

Talking about gender where stoplight parrotfish are concerned is somewhat unorthodox due to the fact that these fish can actually change gender depending on the population density of males and females. Some parrotfish are born male and stay male, while other parrotfish are born female but become male if the need for more male parrotfish arises. How much fun would snorkelers have if they could see fish that can change gender while on Bahamas Snorkel Tours?

While being able to change genders is interesting, snorkelers will not likely actually get to see this process occurring. There are, however, a couple of interesting things that stoplight parrotfish can do that vacationers can observe while snorkeling. Since parrotfish eat coralandmdash;which is a somewhat entertaining process in itselfandmdash;their digestive systems process this coral down to sand. Snorkelers have a good chance of seeing stoplight parrotfish poop strands of sand; these sand releases will eventually form piles of white sand that settle back on the reef.

Another interesting feature of the stoplight parrotfish is its distinctive jaw. Since a parrotfish's teeth are fused, its mouth looks more like a beak than like a traditional fish's mouth. This mouth is ideal for munching on the coral that stoplight parrotfish love so much; they even have teeth in the back of their throats that further crush the coral. Not all parrotfish bite coral solely as a food source, however; male stoplight parrotfish often mark their territory by taking bites out of coral.

Snorkeling is a fascinating, almost mandatory activity for Bahamas vacationers, and the best way to see the reefandmdash;and the beautiful fish that call it homeandmdash;is to go on Bahamas Snorkel Tours. On these tours, vacationers stand a good chance of seeing not only stoplight parrotfish but also hundreds of other fish species that have enthralled numerous snorkelers and divers for decades. These tours are safe and beneficial as they are conducted by snorkeling experts.