Bullethead parrotfish

Pa'ati pa'a pa'a auahi

With their special "beak-like" teeth, parrots scrape coral for green algae, and at the same time swallow coral fragments, thus contributing to reef erosion and sand formation: average over 80 kg per year per individual. With their powerful jaws, they continually scrape the coral to find the green algae from which they feed and swallow fragments of coral at the same time. Apart from one species (Leptoscarus vaigensis) they are all protogynous hermaphrodites: they are born female and take male characteristics during their growth, during the mating season. Their spectacular colors change according to age and sex. At night, they hide in the cavities of the reef and wrap themselves in a cocoon of mucus.