Bullethead Parrotfish Palakse' / Magåmham
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Bullethead Parrotfish Palakse' / Magåmham
Scarus sordidus
Parrotfishes are closely related to the wrasses (a'aga' and some palakse'), but have teeth that are fused into a distinctive beak. They use their beak to scrape green filamentous algae from the surfaces of dead coral or rock. They also eat large amounts of the dead coral rock that is scraped loose by their beaks. The scraped particles are passed through and settle on the bottom as sand. Some parrotfishes also eat leafy seaweeds or coral. Most parrotfishes travel and feed in groups, sometimes mixed with other algae-eating fishes such as surgeonfishes and rabbitfishes. All parrotfishes sleep on the bottom at night, often tucked away into a hole. Many small kinds of parrotfishes sleep in a clear mucus cocoon. The cocoon protects them from certain predators like moray eels that hunt by sense of smell.
Juvenile parrotfishes are drably colored, usually brown to gray and often striped when less than about two inches long. Larger juveniles, females, and some males of most kinds of parrotfishes are brown or gray. This is known as the initial phase because both male and female parrotfishes have this color phase after they lose their juvenile color. Some of the largest females eventually change both color and sex to a brilliant and mostly blue and green color phase. This is called the terminal phase. All terminal phase fish are males that started out as females. Males that started out as males cannot change to the terminal phase color pattern and cannot change sex. The bullethead parrotfish is a small species that reaches a size of 12 inches (30 cm). For this reason, both initial and terminal phase fish may be called "palakse' ". However, many terminal phase fish develop a tan area on their sides and are called "magåmham". Parrotfishes are important food fishes. They are caught by nets and spears, but will not take a hook. There are 19 different kinds of parrotfishes on Guam.
Guam Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 9/27/2005
