Cetoscarus bicolor
Encounter Rate
Spotting Difficulty
Best Season
Year-round
Depth Range
1-30 meters
The bicolour parrotfish is one of the most commonly seen and ecologically important fish on Komodo's reefs, a large, robust herbivore that plays a crucial role in controlling algal growth and producing the white sand that characterises tropical beaches. Terminal-phase males are particularly striking, with a deep blue-green body, a pink or salmon-coloured head patch, and a distinctive beak formed from fused teeth that is visible even from a distance. In Komodo, large parrotfish are encountered at virtually every reef site, cruising in small groups as they systematically graze on algae growing on dead coral surfaces. The crunching sound of their feeding — audible from several metres away — is one of the characteristic soundscapes of a healthy Indo-Pacific reef. Each bite removes a small amount of calcium carbonate substrate along with the algae, which is ground to fine sand in the parrotfish's pharyngeal mill and excreted. A single large parrotfish can produce hundreds of kilograms of sand per year. At night, many parrotfish species secrete a mucous cocoon around their body, thought to mask their scent from nocturnal predators like moray eels.
Average Size
40-60cm
Size Range
15-80cm
Maximum Size
80cm
Herbivore that grazes on algae growing on dead coral surfaces. Scrapes the substrate with its beak, ingesting calcium carbonate along with algae, and excretes the ground coral as fine white sand.
The bicolour parrotfish is one of the most commonly seen and ecologically important fish on Komodo's reefs, a large, robust herbivore that plays a crucial role in controlling algal growth and producing the white sand that characterises tropical beaches. Terminal-phase males are particularly striking, with a deep blue-green body, a pink or salmon-coloured head patch, and a distinctive beak formed from fused teeth that is visible even from a distance. In Komodo, large parrotfish are encountered at virtually every reef site, cruising in small groups as they systematically graze on algae growing on dead coral surfaces. The crunching sound of their feeding — audible from several metres away — is one of the characteristic soundscapes of a healthy Indo-Pacific reef. Each bite removes a small amount of calcium carbonate substrate along with the algae, which is ground to fine sand in the parrotfish's pharyngeal mill and excreted. A single large parrotfish can produce hundreds of kilograms of sand per year. At night, many parrotfish species secrete a mucous cocoon around their body, thought to mask their scent from nocturnal predators like moray eels.
This species plays an important role in the marine ecosystem of Komodo National Park. Responsible diving practices help protect these animals and their habitat for future generations.
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Yes — they are one of the primary producers of white coral sand on tropical reefs. By scraping algae and the underlying calcium carbonate substrate, they grind and excrete fine sand. Some estimates suggest parrotfish produce most of the sand on tropical beaches.
