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Double-headed Parrotfish
Bolbometopon muricatum (Valenciennes, 1840)
A Double-headed Parrotfish at a depth of 8m, "Cod Hole", north of Ribbon Reef #10, Great Barrier Reef, off Lizard Island, Queensland, December 2001. View larger image.
A Double-headed Parrotfish at a depth of 7m, "Cod Hole", north of Ribbon Reef #10, Great Barrier Reef, off Lizard Island, Queensland, December 2001. View larger image.
The Double-headed Parrotfish can be recognised by the distinct hump on the head of adults, its drab colouration, and large size. It is the largest of all the parrotfishes, growing to 1.3m in length.
This species sometimes forms large schools which graze on algae during the day.
The Double-headed Parrotfish lives on coral reefs throughout the Indo-West and Central Pacific.
In Australia it is recorded around the tropical north of the country.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
One of the distinctive characteristics of the parrotfishes (family Scaridae) is the beak-like dentition. Parrotfishes use this dentition to graze algae off the surface of the reef. A considerable amount of hard material is also scraped off the coral or rock when the fish feeds. This is ground up by the pharyngeal teeth (glossary) and passed out with the faeces.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Choat, J.H. & J.E. Randall. 1986. A Review of the Parrotfishes (Family Scaridae) of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia with Description of a New Species. Records of the Australian Museum. 38: 175-228.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1992. Tropical Reef-Fishes of the Western Pacific. Indonesia and adjacent Waters. Penerbit PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama. Pp. 314.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
