Park up with a parrotfish

Of the thousands of marine species found at Wakatobi, few are more ubiquitous than the parrotfish. This keystone species is a relative of the wrasses, and is among the most abundant and widespread species found on tropical reefs worldwide. This is crucial - without parrotfish, reef health would decline.

Scientists estimate there are between 80 and 90 known parrotfish species, up to 35 of which can be found at Wakatobi, including the bumphead, which is known for its larger size, bulbous forehead and exposed teeth plates. There are many varieties, with species identified in myriad ways including colour, size and characteristics, including their rather impressive teeth which grow outside the jawbone, serving as scrapers to gnaw and gouge coral and rocks.

In Wakatobi's waters, you'll find a veritable menagerie of parrotfish swimming in the upper portions of the reef and sometimes venturing into the seagrass beds close to shore. 

Parrotfish use these teeth to remove algae or loosen coral chunks to munch on. Deeper inside the parrotfish's throat, a different set of molar-like teeth pulverises ingested coral chunks to extract embedded algae and polyps. This process continues all the way to the digestive tract, creating a kind of biological conveyor belt that breaks their food down into small sand-sized particles. If you're anywhere near a parrotfish, you'll probably have heard the distinctive crunching sound they make as they feed.

Studies show parrotfish are key to reef equilibrium; without them, algae would smother corals as they compete for sunlight and space. They are not strict herbivores however - they'll happily snack on reef organisms including sponges, zoanthidsd, worms and other small creatures.

Parrotfish at Wakatobi can range from 30cm up to 120cm in length, and if you're in the water around sunset, you might be lucky enough to witness their bedtime routine, where each parrotfish scampers off in search of shelter, tucks itself in and begins to secrete a mucous bubble that becomes their signature sleeping cocoons.

For more on Wakatobi's parrotfish and more, click here.