Bumphead Parrot Fish

[TimA]

just swam with a school of about 50 bumphead parrot fish in Sipadan! incredible experience

How about a school of 15 to 20 Ragged-Tail Humpheads Parrots (chlorurus rhakoura). Their about half the size of regular Humpies. Indian Ocean Reef Guide says they have never been seen outside of Sri Lanka. But I have only the 2001 edition of IORG. Is there a later edition w/ updated info. Also World Reef Fish by same author as IORG and the FishBase has no info on them (chlorurus rhakoura).
Very interesting fish. Very pretty fish Dark Blue bodies with light blue trim on fins and tails. And that beautiful Ragged-Tail. Would like to know more about them.
I just did 40 days of the west coast of Simeulue Island, Sumatra. Usually its getting pounded by 20 ft waves. 80% of reefs are pristine. here is a partial (40%) list of critters ( I'm on a visa run and left my list at home:I have photos of all the fish I mention.


juv and adult:Yellowhead Snappers (macolor macularis)
juv and adults: Black and White snapper(macolar niger)
Blackpatch emperor (lethrinus harak)
Convict surgeonfish (acanthurus triostegus)
Phylidiella pustulosa nudibranch
Twoline Threadfin Bream (scolopsis bilineautus)
juv Big Eye Emperor (monotaxis grandoculis)
Red Spotted Coral Crab (trapezia rufopunctata)
Koran Angelfish (pomacanthus semicirculatus)
Masked Bannerfish (heniochus monoceros)
Raccoon butterflyfish (chaetodon lunula)
juv Slate Sweetlips (diagramma labiosum)
Mappa pufferfish (arothron mappa)
Humpback unicornfish (naso brachycentron)
Scissortail Dart Goby (ptereleotris evides)
Rag-Tail humphead parrotfish (chlorurus rhakoura)
Bird wrasse (gomphosus caeruleus)
YellowmarginTrigger(pseudobalistes flavimarginatus)
Picasso Trigger (rhinecanthus acueatus)
Picasso Trigger (rhinecanthus verrucosus)
Double Striped Soapfish (diploprion bifasciatum)
Ember parrotfishes (scarus rubroviolaceus)
Longnose Filefishes (oxymonacanthus longirostris)
Clown Trigger (balistoides conspicillum)
Horned Helmet (cassis cornuta)
Chromodoris Lochi nudibranch
Forster hawkfish (paracirrhites foresteri)
Clarks anenomefish (amphiprion clarkii)
Spotted Eagle Ray (aetobatus narinari)
ALSOw/ no scientific names
Multibar Cleaner Pipefish
Smith's Fang Blenny
Joshi's Magnificent Slug
White Tip reef Sharks
Decorator Crabs
Leopard Hawkfish
Monocle Hawkfish
.......
The most exciting finds for me on these newly dived sites are the Ragged-Tail humphead parrotfish and the purple colored tubular Club Anemone (2 of them) with its 3 resident Clown Partner Shrimps

Photos, amateur as they are will be posted on my website soon.
But mostly for now I would like to know more about (chlorurus rhakoura)

Also, when I asked some locals about dynamite damage to a reef they said they caught the culprit, cut of his arms and then killed him.
Let this be a warning! Blowing up reefs Simeulue Island will not be tolerated.
This island is the Black Magic, Voodoo center of Asia.


Unfortunately I cannot access Scubaboard w/ my BlackBerry. so in a couple days I'm back to Simeulue and again out of touch.

Thanks Heaps for any info you have. I can be reached at simeulueisland@gmail.com via my BlackBerry

 

[TimA]

just swam with a school of about 50 bumphead parrot fish in Sipadan! incredible experience

How about a school of 15 to 20 Ragged-Tail Humpheads Parrots (chlorurus rhakoura). Their about half the size of regular Humpies. Indian Ocean Reef Guide says they have never been seen outside of Sri Lanka. But I have only the 2001 edition of IORG. Is there a later edition w/ updated info. Also World Reef Fish by same author as IORG and the FishBase has no info on them (chlorurus rhakoura).
Very interesting fish. Very pretty fish Dark Blue bodies with light blue trim on fins and tails. And that beautiful Ragged-Tail. Would like to know more about them.
I just did 40 days of the west coast of Simeulue Island, Sumatra. Usually its getting pounded by 20 ft waves. 80% of reefs are pristine. here is a partial (40%) list of critters ( I'm on a visa run and left my list at home:I have photos of all the fish I mention.


juv and adult:Yellowhead Snappers (macolor macularis)
juv and adults: Black and White snapper(macolar niger)
Blackpatch emperor (lethrinus harak)
Convict surgeonfish (acanthurus triostegus)
Phylidiella pustulosa nudibranch
Twoline Threadfin Bream (scolopsis bilineautus)
juv Big Eye Emperor (monotaxis grandoculis)
Red Spotted Coral Crab (trapezia rufopunctata)
Koran Angelfish (pomacanthus semicirculatus)
Masked Bannerfish (heniochus monoceros)
Raccoon butterflyfish (chaetodon lunula)
juv Slate Sweetlips (diagramma labiosum)
Mappa pufferfish (arothron mappa)
Humpback unicornfish (naso brachycentron)
Scissortail Dart Goby (ptereleotris evides)
Rag-Tail humphead parrotfish (chlorurus rhakoura)
Bird wrasse (gomphosus caeruleus)
YellowmarginTrigger(pseudobalistes flavimarginatus)
Picasso Trigger (rhinecanthus acueatus)
Picasso Trigger (rhinecanthus verrucosus)
Double Striped Soapfish (diploprion bifasciatum)
Ember parrotfishes (scarus rubroviolaceus)
Longnose Filefishes (oxymonacanthus longirostris)
Clown Trigger (balistoides conspicillum)
Horned Helmet (cassis cornuta)
Chromodoris Lochi nudibranch
Forster hawkfish (paracirrhites foresteri)
Clarks anenomefish (amphiprion clarkii)
Spotted Eagle Ray (aetobatus narinari)
ALSOw/ no scientific names
Multibar Cleaner Pipefish
Smith's Fang Blenny
Joshi's Magnificent Slug
White Tip reef Sharks
Decorator Crabs
Leopard Hawkfish
Monocle Hawkfish
.......
The most exciting finds for me on these newly dived sites are the Ragged-Tail humphead parrotfish and the purple colored tubular Club Anemone (2 of them) 1 with its 3 resident Clown Partner Shrimps

Photos, amateur as they are will be posted on my website soon.
But mostly for now I would like to know more about (chlorurus rhakoura)

Also, when I asked some locals about dynamite damage to a reef they said they caught the culprit, cut off his arms and then killed him.
Let this be a warning! Blowing up reefs Simeulue Island will not be tolerated.
This island is the Black Magic, Voodoo center of Asia.


Unfortunately I cannot access Scubaboard w/ my BlackBerry. so in a couple days I'm back to Simeulue and again out of touch.

Thanks Heaps for any info you have. I can be reached at simeulueisland@gmail.com via my BlackBerry

 

[TimA]

just swam with a school of about 50 bumphead parrot fish in Sipadan! incredible experience

How about a school of 15 to 20 Ragged-Tail Humpheads Parrots (chlorurus rhakoura). Their about half the size of regular Humpies. Indian Ocean Reef Guide says they have never been seen outside of Sri Lanka. But I have only the 2001 edition of IORG. Is there a later edition w/ updated info. Also World Reef Fish by same author as IORG and the FishBase has no info on them (chlorurus rhakoura).
Very interesting fish. Very pretty fish Dark Blue bodies with light blue trim on fins and tails. And that beautiful Ragged-Tail. Would like to know more about them.
I just did 40 days of the west coast of Simeulue Island, Sumatra. Usually its getting pounded by 20 ft waves. 80% of reefs are pristine. here is a partial (40%) list of critters ( I'm on a visa run and left my list at home:I have photos of all the fish I mention.


juv and adult:Yellowhead Snappers (macolor macularis)
juv and adults: Black and White snapper(macolar niger)
Blackpatch emperor (lethrinus harak)
Convict surgeonfish (acanthurus triostegus)
Phylidiella pustulosa nudibranch
Twoline Threadfin Bream (scolopsis bilineautus)
juv Big Eye Emperor (monotaxis grandoculis)
Red Spotted Coral Crab (trapezia rufopunctata)
Koran Angelfish (pomacanthus semicirculatus)
Masked Bannerfish (heniochus monoceros)
Raccoon butterflyfish (chaetodon lunula)
juv Slate Sweetlips (diagramma labiosum)
Mappa pufferfish (arothron mappa)
Humpback unicornfish (naso brachycentron)
Scissortail Dart Goby (ptereleotris evides)
Rag-Tail humphead parrotfish (chlorurus rhakoura)
Bird wrasse (gomphosus caeruleus)
YellowmarginTrigger(pseudobalistes flavimarginatus)
Picasso Trigger (rhinecanthus acueatus)
Picasso Trigger (rhinecanthus verrucosus)
Double Striped Soapfish (diploprion bifasciatum)
Ember parrotfishes (scarus rubroviolaceus)
Longnose Filefishes (oxymonacanthus longirostris)
Clown Trigger (balistoides conspicillum)
Horned Helmet (cassis cornuta)
Chromodoris Lochi nudibranch
Forster hawkfish (paracirrhites foresteri)
Clarks anenomefish (amphiprion clarkii)
Spotted Eagle Ray (aetobatus narinari)
ALSOw/ no scientific names
Multibar Cleaner Pipefish
Smith's Fang Blenny
Joshi's Magnificent Slug
White Tip reef Sharks
Decorator Crabs
Leopard Hawkfish
Monocle Hawkfish
.......
The most exciting finds for me on these newly dived sites are the Ragged-Tail humphead parrotfish and the purple colored tubular Club Anemone (2 of them) 1 with its 3 resident Clown Partner Shrimps

Photos, amateur as they are will be posted on my website soon.
But mostly for now I would like to know more about (chlorurus rhakoura)

Also, when I asked some locals about dynamite damage to a reef they said they caught the culprit, cut off his arms and then killed him.
Let this be a warning! Blowing up reefs Simeulue Island will not be tolerated.
This island is the Black Magic, Voodoo center of Asia.


Unfortunately I cannot access Scubaboard w/ my BlackBerry. so in a couple days I'm back to Simeulue and again out of touch.

Thanks Heaps for any info you have. I can be reached at simeulueisland@gmail.com via my BlackBerry

 

[TimA]

Sorry about triple post!

Remote Sumatra Internet Cafe

 

[Bowmouth]

Also, when I asked some locals about dynamite damage to a reef they said they caught the culprit, cut off his arms and then killed him.

I like to think of myself as a hard-line conservationist but cutting off arms and then killing the guy seems quite extreme to me....

 

[lord khram]

I like to think of myself as a hard-line conservationist but cutting off arms and then killing the guy seems quite extreme to me....

Not at all I think it would act as a suitable deterrent to the other inconsiderate and irresponsible individuals.

 

[TimA]

I like to think of myself as a hard-line conservationist but cutting off arms and then killing the guy seems quite extreme to me....

They were subsistence fishermen taking care of their families with that reef,
not members of the Sea Shepard Society.

So theres no need to play

"While My Guitarfish Gently Weeps"

 

[TimA]

Ragged-Tail Bumphead in Thailand

Ragged-Tail Bumphead in Simeulue

Found this last couple days for those interested.
Enjoy

 

[Nishan]

Having fought against dynamite fishing here in Sri Lanka I would support some drastic action against some of them. I dont know about the rest of the world but here its often done by organized gangs who are often backed by politicians and law enforcement authorities. Its a huge business and these guys make loads of money and are definitely not poor fishermen struggling to live. Many are in fact hired labor who take up fishing under a big businessman and are not traditional fishermen. Those who play by the rules lose out and often get death threats for trying to do something against illegal fishing.

 

[Nishan]

Thanks for the reports Tim. in 2005 we did an assessment of tsunami impacts on reefs along that coast between Sibolga and Banda Aceh. There is a report in the GCRMN post tsunami status report and a paper in Atoll Research Bulletin as well as a Reef Check publication. One thing I noticed was lots of evidence of dynamite fishing. Some areas did have very good coral but even then the fish assemblages were dominated by smaller dish with very few larger reef fish which indicated some level of selective fishing pressure but probably with methods that did not damage the reef such as traditional hook and line fisheries. There was definitely a low abundance of large snappers, groupers, emperors and sweetlips. The Banyak group did have some excellent coral though. Overall its an amazingly beautiful area that I would like to visit again some day.

Enjoy the surfing and the diving!