WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Pacific Bullethead Parrotfish

Chlorurus spilurus

Also known as: Bullethead Parrot, Bullet-headed Parrotfish, Greenfin Parrotfish, Pacific Daisy Parrotfish, Spectacled Parrotfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2012
Adult
@SailingBenH · MY, Malaysia · June 20171 / 46

Showing details for the adult stage. Switch stages to see how it differs.

01

Overview

Found singly, or in large schools, foraging for food, over shallow reef flats, lagoons, and seaward reefs, rich in algae growth. Geographical variation in colour.

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.

02

How to identify

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03

Habitat & where to find it

Where the adult stage lives, and where its photos were taken.

  • Range · Western Central Pacific
  • Exact location · 20
  • Country only · 26
LIVES IN

Found singly, or in large schools, foraging for food, over shallow reef flats, lagoons, and seaward reefs, rich in algae growth.

04

Adult photos 46

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. familyScaridae
    2. genusChlorurus
    3. speciesChlorurus spilurus (Valenciennes, 1840)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Parrotfishes (Scaridae)