This is Chlorurus sordidus or Bullethead parrotfish
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This is the initial phase of the Bullethead Parrotfish.
They have quite the variation in their coloration. Scientific name is Chlorurus Sordidus and it is in the family of Scaridae. Here in Hawaii, we call him Uhu. It is occasionally referred to as a daisy parrotfish. They can grow to be 40cm or 16inches and live up to 7 years. Parrotfish have thick heavy bodies with large scales covering them. They can be found in tropical waters throughout the world.
They come in a vast array of colors, which can change, based on their sex, group status, or age/maturity level. They get their name because of their fused teeth which closely resembles the beak of a bird, and have the bright coloration of a parrot as well. They use these beaks to scrape algae and invertebrates off of the coral. There is another set of teeth, pharyngeal teeth, which can be found on the top and bottom of their throats. These teeth crush and grind what they ingest.
They graze over the reef and ingest large amounts of calcareous materials which they break down and excrete as a fine sand. In one year, a single parrotfish can convert a ton of coral into a ton of sand. It was once believed, that parrotfish were harmful and destructive to the reefs. However, we now understand that they are actually quite helpful and beneficial with the removal of algae from the dead coral. In addition they aid in the prevention of harmful algae which will choke out the healthy corals. This is a type of bioerosion, or the breakdown of hard ocean substrates. It is said that the structure of their teeth are so strong, that they could beat gold, copper, and silver in a fracture test.
The image above was taken during a Private Ocean Project Maui Snorkel Tour.
This colorful image was taken off a West Maui Beach by the dedicated staff of Ocean Project Maui. They offer custom, private snorkel tours around the island of Maui, Hawaii. Each #COLORSOFTHEOCEAN image you see in our monthly blog, was captured during a private guided snorkel tour. These amazing images, as well as images above and below the water of the clients/supporters are included in every tour at no additional cost.
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