Bumphead Parrotfish

ID points

• Forehead swollen into a large, almost vertical bulge
• Grey-green to dark green all over; heavy, bulky build
• Cruises in groups, ramming and biting off live coral

Basics

Family

Scaridae

Length

80–130 cm

Depth

1-30 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs

Distribution

Coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific

Habitat

Outer tropical coral reefs

Diet

Live coral, algae

Easily confused with

Napoleon WrasseAdults have a large bulging hump on the foreheadTuskfishUpper and lower jaws each carry a pair of protruding blue canine teethParrotfishTeeth fused into a parrot-like beak

Fun fact

The largest parrotfish in the world, reaching 1.3 metres. It rams the reef head first, again and again, to feed, and the noise it makes is astonishing. A single fish turns several tonnes of reef into white coral sand every year. It grows extremely slowly and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.