Tucked into the reef to sleep, this Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula) hides its scent from predators with a mucus bubble. The mucus, which is secreted from glands in the gill cavities, protects the Parrotfish from parasites. The mucous cocoon might also serve as an early warning system if a predator approaches. The most common predators include groupers, eels and sharks.
It takes about thirty minutes for a Parrotfish to secrete its mucous bubble and if the bubble is destroyed, it can secrete another one that same night.
The clip is quite short, as the Parrotfish was trying to sleep! Sweet dreams...............
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As a side note, I learned that mucous is an adjective and mucus is a noun!
