Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) asleep amongst soft coral, Karang Kapota Reef, Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia

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Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) asleep amongst soft coral, Karang Kapota Reef, Indonesia. It has spun a mucous cocoon around itself – a behaviour that scientists have long assumed protects the fish from nocturnal predators such as moray eels. However, recent research suggests that the purpose of the cocoon is to protect against blood-sucking aquatic parasites – much like a mosquito net.

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Size: 4288px × 2848px
Location: Karang Kapota Reef, Wakatobi National Park, Indonesia
Photo credit: © Erik Schlogl / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, aquatic, asleep, bullethead, chlorurus, coral, daisy, fish, indonesia, marine, national, night, ocean, park, parrot, parrotfish, reef, sleep, sordidus, sulawesi, wakatobi, wildlife