Bumphead parrotfish are an endangered species that are actually posing a threat to their own ecosystem. The fish live in coral reefs, but they also lower the amount of coral diversity by eating, or destroying it.
Bumphead parrotfish are an endangered species that are actually posing a threat to their own ecosystem.
The fish live in coral reefs, but they also lower the amount of coral diversity by eating, or destroying it.
There are already a host of environmental problems like rising ocean temperatures and water pollution that are having a devastating effect on coral reefs.
The bumphead parrotfish does offer some positive effects however, as they eat dead coral and fast growing algae, which makes room for new coral to generate.
Doctor Douglas McCauley from the University of California in Santa Barbara who has studied bumphead parrotfish is quoted as saying: "These bumpheads are downright messy feeders, they break off dozens of pieces they don't eat - those pieces are alive and we believe that acts as dispersal, like the way birds feed on fruits and disperse the seeds."
Decreasing shark populations, their natural predators, are reportedly leading to more bumphead parrotfish, and that in turn is causing a decline in coral reefs in some areas.
Experts say that this is a good example of how conservation efforts need to focus on all of the interconnected aspects of an ecosystem.
That way they can reach a full understanding of what needs to be done to protect threatened natural habitats.
