Bumphead parrotfish
Bolbometopon muricatum
Sighting evidence at South Atoll, Tubbataha Reefs
Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC
South Atoll shelters some of the largest remaining aggregations of bumphead parrotfish in the Sulu Sea — schools of 50 or more individuals that graze live coral with their fused beak-like teeth, producing clouds of white sand. Their ram-feeding technique, including head-butting coral heads, is audible underwater and produces a significant portion of the carbonate sand on Tubbataha's reef flats. Vulnerable to overfishing due to their slow growth and predictable schooling behaviour; Tubbataha's protected status is critical to their regional survival.
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.