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Bullethead Parrotfish
Chlorurus sordidus (Forsskål, 1775)
A male Bullethead Parrotfish at a depth of 15m, Steve's Bommie, Ribbon Reef #3, Great Barrier Reef off Cooktown, Queensland, December 2001. View larger image.
A male Bullethead Parrotfish at a depth of 6m, 'Temple of Doom', Ribbon Reefs north of Port Douglas, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, December 2000. View larger image.
The initial phase Bullethead Parrotfish is dark brown on the body and red around the mouth.
Terminal phase males are blue-green with pinkish scale edges. The caudal peduncle (glossary) is green and the upper sides of the body are often bright yellow. The snout is lavender-pink, bordered by blue-green.
The lips cover less than half of the blue-green dental plates (view an image of the teeth of this species on the 'Why are they called Parrotfishes' page).
The Bullethead Parrotfish grows to 40cm in length.
It occurs on coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific.
In Australia it is recorded from southern to northern Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef to southern Queensland.
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. (as Scarus sordidus)
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433. (as Scarus sordidus)
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
