Green humphead parrotfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Green humphead parrotfish |
|
|---|---|
_(49509140173).jpg) |
|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The green humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) is the biggest type of parrotfish. It can grow up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) long and weigh as much as 75 kg (165 lb).
You can find this amazing fish on reefs in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. They live from the Red Sea all the way to Samoa, and from the Yaeyama Islands down to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
People call them by many names, like bumphead parrotfish, humphead parrotfish, double-headed parrotfish, buffalo parrotfish, and giant parrotfish. It is the only species in its group, Bolbometopon. It is also the largest plant-eating fish living on coral reefs.
Contents
What Makes This Fish Special?
Unlike other fish, the green humphead parrotfish has a unique head shape. Its head goes straight up, and its body is covered in scales. Only the front of its head, which can be light green or pink, does not have scales.
Young fish are dull gray with white spots. As they get older, they turn a uniform dark green. Both male and female fish look similar, so their colors do not change based on their sex.
Adult fish develop a large, rounded forehead, like a "bump" on their head. Their teeth are also partly visible. These fish grow slowly and can live a long time, up to 40 years!
Where Do They Live and Hang Out?
Green humphead parrotfish like to be with other fish. They usually live in small groups. However, on reefs facing the open ocean or in clear lagoons, their groups can be very large, sometimes with more than 75 fish!
Life Cycle and Habits
Young green humphead parrotfish are found in sheltered lagoons. They often hide among branching corals, especially Acropora corals. Very small fish (less than 50mm) often hang out with Damselfish.
As they get bigger, young parrotfish move to lagoons, sometimes in seagrass beds. Adult fish live in clear outer lagoons and on reefs facing the open sea, up to 30 meters (about 100 feet) deep.
What Do They Eat?
These fish are plant-eaters. They munch on benthic algae (algae that grows on the bottom) and live corals. Adult green humphead parrotfish might even ram their heads into corals to break them apart and get to the food.
Each adult fish eats over five tons of coral reef material every year! This helps shape the reefs, but it also means they break down a lot of coral.
Where Do They Sleep?
At night, these fish sleep among corals, in caves, or even in old shipwrecks. They usually sleep in large groups, which might help keep them safe.
How Do They Reproduce?
Green humphead parrotfish do not change color based on their sex. They lay their eggs in the water near the outer reef slope. This usually happens around the new moon. They gather in special spots to lay their eggs.
Protecting These Amazing Fish
Because green humphead parrotfish are large, grow slowly, and swim in groups, they are easy targets for fishing. Many fishermen want to catch them, which has led to their numbers going down. Spearfishers and people using nets often target large groups of these fish while they are sleeping at night.
Their homes are also being harmed. Pollution and dirt from logging can make the water quality poor, which hurts the places where young fish live.
Some places have taken steps to protect these fish:
- In American Samoa, spearfishing with scuba diving gear was banned in 2001.
- The waters around Wake Island, Johnston Atoll, and Palmyra Atoll are protected areas. If people from the United States want to fish for them there, they need a special permit.
- It is also against the rules to catch them with spearfishing and SCUBA gear between 6 PM and 6 AM in the US Exclusive Economic Zone around these territories.
- Palau has banned the export of these fish to help protect their population.
