Direct estimate of bioerosion by two parrotfish species, Chlorurus gibbus and C. sordidus, on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

A study of the feeding habits of the two most abundant bioeroding parrotfish species on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Chlorurus gibbus and C. sordidus, reveals that both species have similar feeding patterns, which are initiated and terminated in an abrupt manner. While C. gibbus displayed limited time of day or seasonal variations in feeding rates, C. sordidus underwent major variations in feeding rates as a result of seasonal effects.