Bumphead Parrotfish
Bolbometopon muricatum
Sighting evidence at Marine Sanctuary, Apo Island
Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC
Schools of bumphead parrotfish visit Apo Island's outer reef at dawn, using their massive fused beak-like teeth to ram and excavate coral, converting live coral into fine white sand that forms the island's beaches over geological timescales. A single school can produce hundreds of kilograms of sand per year, making them among the most important sand-generating species on Indo-Pacific reefs. Their presence at Apo is a direct indicator of ecosystem health, as bumpheads disappear quickly from fished reefs.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Bumphead Parrotfish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.