DIVE LOG Australasia

Bullet Head Parrot fish has a relatiely small head. It is sleeping in a coccoon of coral slime.

that they eat. Coral is very slimy. When parrotfish consume coral, the mucous is retained in the stomach or somewhere else within. The end result is a sizeable reserve of mucous retained in the mouth, throat or stomach of the parrotfish, Once they find a safe secure hidey hole to spend the night, the sticky mucous is extruded from the mouth and around the head and body of the fish. I have observed them doing this many times.

There are many questions to be answered about this survival technique. Some scientists think that the bag of mucous helps to prevent parasites from landing on the skin and burrowing in at night. Personally, I think both are likely to have merit! The vital point is that coral slime smells like coral. The scent of the fish is therefore masked. Predators cannot locate them by smell.

A rare sighting of this juvenile Bump Headed parrotfish was a highlight of my diving.

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DIVE LOG Australasia #408 - October ‘24