Bumphead Parrotfish
Bolbometopon muricatum
Sighting evidence at Yabiji Reef, Miyako Islands
Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC
Schools of bumphead parrotfish numbering 20 to 50 individuals roam the outer reef crest at dawn, using their calcified foreheads to ram and break chunks of coral that they grind into sand. Their bio-erosion activity is ecologically significant at Yabiji's scale, producing large volumes of the white carbonate sand that fills the lagoon floor. The population here is one of the largest in Japan and is considered an indicator of a near-pristine reef ecosystem.
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.