parrotfish waste
Parrotfish, one of the largest and most colorful of the reef fish, can grow up to 40 inches long. They’re easy to spot – their front teeth are fused together, protruding like buck teeth that allow them to feed by scraping algae from rocks and coral.
The rocks and coral pass through the parrotfish’s system, resulting in fine sand. In fact, most of the white sand found in Hawaii is parrotfish waste. One large parrotfish can produce a ton of sand a year. Native parrotfish species include yellowbar, regal and spectacled.