Bumphead Parrotfish
Bolbometopon muricatum
Sighting evidence at Coral Garden, Pigeon Island
Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC
Schools of bumphead parrotfish occasionally visit Coral Garden in the early morning during the calm season, their ram-feeding on massive Porites heads creating clouds of white coral sand that drift downwind across the reef. As the largest parrotfish species, reaching 1.3 metres and 46 kilograms, they are a significant bioeroder — each individual can produce hundreds of kilograms of sand per year from digested coral skeleton. Their aggregation diving behaviour makes early-morning entries in May through July the most reliable window for encounters.
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.