WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Green Humphead Parrotfish

Bolbometopon muricatum

Also known as: Bumphead Parrotfish, Double-headed Parrotfish, Humphead Parrotfish, Napoleon's Fish, Reef Buffalo

VUVulnerableIUCN Red List, 2025
Adult
@CazA · Lizard Island, Australia · August 20101 / 7
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Overview

Found in small to large schools, foraging for food, over clear and murky, outer lagoons and seaward reefs rich in algae and coral growth. At night they can be found sleeping in caves and shipwrecks.
Juveniles found in lagoons.

This is the largest Parrotfish.

Parrotfish are hermaphrodites and live in harems with a dominant male. They are not territorial, living and feeding in harmony with other species.
Their teeth are fused into powerful beaks which are used for grabbing filamentous algae from dead coral, often found feeding in a cloud of sediment.
At night parrotfish make a sleeping bag out of slime bubbles for protection against predators.
These beautiful fish whose males usually outshine the females for colour also change dramatically from juvenile to adult.

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How to identify

Pattern
pink patch
Head & Mouth
hump head

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-Pacific
  • Country only · 7
LIVES IN

Found in small to large schools, foraging for food, over clear and murky, outer lagoons and seaward reefs rich in algae and coral growth.

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Adult photos 7

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Discussion 1

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1 comment

  • zachary cannaday· 12 Dec 2019

    This was real helpful to me.

ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. familyScaridae
  2. genusBolbometopon
  3. speciesBolbometopon muricatum (Valenciennes, 1840)

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

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More in the family

Parrotfishes (Scaridae)