26/04/2024
Request to all Curacaoan divers and snorkelers: Did you find a dead parrotfish?
At the moment we are getting a lot of reports of parrotfishes (gutu's) that seemingly drop dead from the water column.... A likely candidate causing this mortality (and associated weird behavior right before the parrotfishes die) are cyanobacteria that grow increasingly more often among the food targetted by parrotfishes, i.e., algae that grow on the bottom. Some of these cyanobacteria contain nasty toxins which could cause parrotfishes (and other fishes that eat them) to die. We would like to check if this is indeed what is currently happening in Curacao. So.... if you found a recently dead parrotfish like the one on the picture and are willing to take it with you, could you please drop it off at Carmabi (Piscaderabaai). It would be best to freeze the fish as soon as possible and bring it over frozen. Questions? Please ask..... Thanks in advance to those willing to help....
