That Hawaiian sand between your toes isn't just ground-up rock. In fact, very little of it is. The vast majority came out of a parrotfish. You see, this critter is fond of the algae that grows on coral, but as it gnaws the stuff off, it also ingests calcium carbonate, which it poops out as sand. So put those sandals back on and take a gander at this topically tropical episode of Absurd Creatures.
And I’m happy to hear from you with suggestions on what to cover next. If it’s weird and we can find footage of it, it’s fair game. You can get me at matthew_simon@wired.com or on Twitter at @mrMattSimon. And check out the Absurd Creature of the Week column right here.
