Fish

Blue Humphead Parrotfish

Chlorurus cyanescens

A striking two-tone parrotfish - deep blue in front, green behind - the big adults bulging a fleshy hump above the eye.

Blue Humphead Parrotfish
Photo: Georgina Jones · CC BY-SA 4.0
Habitat
Coral and rocky reefs

The blue humphead parrotfish wears a bold two-part colour scheme: the head and forebody are deep blue, giving way to green across the rest of the body. Big adults develop a convex, fleshy bump above the eye, and the beak-like dental plates are a dull white.

Like other parrotfishes it grazes reef surfaces with its fused beak. It is a western Indian Ocean species that reaches into our northern reef waters.