Among the most eye-catching fish you will see while snorkeling in Waikiki is the parrotfish, a big, brilliantly colored reef dweller with a beak like a parrot. It is beautiful to watch, but here is the amazing part: this fish actually helps make the white sand you walk on at the beach. Here is the surprising story of the parrotfish, known in Hawaiian as uhu.
A Fish Named for Its Beak
The parrotfish gets its name from its mouth, which looks just like a parrot's beak. That "beak" is actually a set of teeth fused together into a hard, strong plate. Parrotfish come in dazzling colors, greens, blues, pinks, and purples, and they can grow quite large. You will often see them cruising over the reef, nibbling away, sometimes with a loud crunching sound you can hear underwater.
How It Makes Sand
Parrotfish spend their days scraping algae off the coral and rocks with that beak. In the process, they bite off bits of hard coral skeleton too. Inside the fish, special grinding teeth in the throat crush the coral into a fine powder. The fish digests the algae and then passes the ground-up coral out as clean, white sand. Scientists estimate that a large share of the white sand on Hawaii's beaches was made this way, by parrotfish.
🐠 Parrotfish Quick Facts
- Called uhu in Hawaiian; famous for its parrot-like beak.
- Scrapes algae off coral, grinding up bits of coral as it eats.
- Excretes the ground coral as fine white sand.
- A single big parrotfish can make hundreds of pounds of sand a year.
A Reef Hero
Beyond making sand, parrotfish are vital to a healthy reef. By constantly grazing algae, they keep it from smothering the coral, giving the reef room to grow. In a way, they are the gardeners of the sea. That is why many places, including Hawaii, encourage protecting parrotfish, so the reefs and the beaches both stay healthy.
How to Spot One
Parrotfish are easy to find on Waikiki's reefs. Look for a large, colorful fish moving slowly over the coral, and listen for that telltale crunch as it grazes. Watch from a respectful distance and never chase it, and you will get to enjoy its natural behavior. Remember the golden rule of the reef: look, do not touch, and give the coral and its residents their space.
See the Sand Maker for Yourself
Next time you are on a Waikiki beach, remember that some of that soft white sand may have started as coral inside a parrotfish. Spotting one of these colorful reef heroes is one of the little joys of snorkeling here. On a guided snorkel tour, the crew can help you find parrotfish, turtles, and all the other amazing reef life. Come meet Hawaii's sand maker up close.
Want to meet Waikiki's reef fish?
Our Turtle Canyon Snorkel Tour takes you to clear water full of colorful fish, turtles, and coral, with an experienced crew and all the gear included.
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