Humphead Parrotfish

Photo: Guillaume Amirault · © all rights reserved

Schools of humphead parrotfish transit the Aquarium Pass on predictable routes between feeding grounds, their massive size — up to 1.3 meters and 46 kilograms — making them the largest of all parrotfish. They are major producers of the white sand that lines New Caledonian lagoon floors, each fish generating hundreds of kilograms of carbonate sediment annually through bioerosion of dead coral, and their feeding disturbance is essential for coral recruitment and reef renewal.