|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comments
|
| Encyclopedia of Life |
 |
Visit this species on the Encyclopedia of Life to find out more!
|
 |
Lifestyle
I spend my days swimming over the reef and eating. My strong beak-like mouth is great for scraping algae off of rocks and dead coral. My mouth is even strong enough to munch on coral! When I was young I swam in groups with my friends, but now, as an adult I like to be alone. I love being a bullethead parrotfish; we can be born male or female, although most of us are born a girls. Crazy cool skill we have: some of us change from girl parrotfish to boy parrotfish as we grow, and become very colorful males later in life.
|
 |
Fun Facts
I am one of the most colorful fish on the reef! I am also one of the most common, swimming around and flapping my pectoral (side) fins to cruise the reef. At night, when I am sleeping, I have a special way to protect myself from predators. I will hide under a coral ledge and surround myself in a cocoon of mucous. Yep, I sleep in a sack of snot! I will sleep inside my mucous cocoon until morning. The cocoon hides my scent, so predators can't smell me in the dark. Pretty wicked smart, don't you think?
|
 |
Menu
My favorite foods are turf algae and calcareous algae (like Halimeda tuna). Also, I love to munch on corals, snails, and microscopic animals in the water called zooplankton. Because I eat both plants and animals, I'm an omnivore.
|
 |
Threats
Reefs are in danger, and that means so is my home!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
