News
SpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliamentSpeciesScientists Discover Mysterious New Fish in the Red Sea – and Have Never Seen It AgainOceanEye to eye with Britain's hidden sharks at SharkAdemy - OceanographicRiversIn October, biologists surveying a New York harbor for invasive fish pulled up a bright yellow one. It wasn't an invasive species at allOceanShedd Aquarium Sends Shark Eggs to Bolster Wild PopulationsSpeciesA rare fish has been found in Lake Ontario, North America, whose entire body is golden. It is a nati..OceanThe Great Sea Reef Is Fiji’s Wildest Dive, and a New Frontier for ConservationOceanEckerd College professor contributes to designating Biscayne Bay an Important Shark and Ray AreaSpeciesRio Verde Grande Survey Identifies Fifty-Three Fish Species Facing Flow ReductionsFisheriesAdams River Salmon Run in Thompson-NicolaIndiaHilsa production dropped 26% in five years, fisheries minister tells parliament
EveryFish

Coral reefs

The warm, clear water of coral reefs. 94 fish on EveryFish so far.

Coral reefs grow in warm, clear, shallow tropical seas, built by colonies of tiny coral animals that lay down limestone. They cover a very small part of the sea floor but hold roughly a quarter of all marine fish species, often thousands in one region. The Coral Triangle of South-East Asia is the richest, and India's reefs lie around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and in the Gulfs of Mannar and Kutch.

Crowded and colourful

Reef fish divide food and space finely. Grazers such as parrotfish and surgeonfish crop algae; butterflyfish pick at coral; groupers, snappers and reef sharks hunt along the edges; cleaner wrasses pick parasites off larger fish; and clownfish shelter among anemones. Most reef fish are territorial or stay close to one patch of reef, and many feed by day while others, such as cardinalfish and squirrelfish, come out at night.

Reefs under heat

Marine heatwaves cause corals to bleach and die, and the fish that depend on them decline. Mass bleaching has become more frequent, with the fourth global event confirmed in 2024. Overfishing, blast and cyanide fishing, pollution and coastal building add to the stress. Some reef fish carry ciguatera toxins, and a few, such as lionfish and stonefish, are venomous. Well-protected reserves often hold more and larger fish.

Famous coral reefs fish

Humphead wrasseA giant, endangered reef fishGreen humphead parrotfishGrazes coral and makes sandMoorish idolA striking Indo-Pacific reef fishBluestreak cleaner wrasseRuns cleaning stationsRed lionfishA venomous reef predatorReef stonefishThe reef stonefish

Still to be written: Ocellaris clownfish, Whitetip reef shark.

Further reading

GroupSharkRayCarpCatfishSalmonidHerringCodTunaPerch-likeCichlidReef fishEelFlatfishLivebearerAncientOther
UseFood fishFarmedAquarium fishSport fishingCulture and faithVenomous or dangerousInvasiveScience and research
OrderBest knownA to ZOldest firstNewest firstBy size
WorldQueen triggerfish Large, colourful reef fish of the tropical Atlantic.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1758 WorldBlue-spotted grouper A widely distributed Indo-Pacific grouper known for its blue spots and invasive impact in Hawaii.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldBluehead wrasse A small Atlantic reef fish known for changing sex and colour.Other · Coral reefs WorldClown triggerfish A striking black and white reef fish with a locking dorsal spine.Other · Coral reefs · 1801 WorldOriental sweetlips Striped reef fish with swollen lips found in the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1758 WorldSeahorse Small marine fish with horse-like heads and curled tails in the genus Hippocampus.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldLeaf scorpionfish A small reef fish that mimics a drifting leaf to ambush prey.Other · Coral reefs · 1802 OceaniaMaroon clownfish Large, aggressive anemonefish with a distinctive cheek spine.Other · Coral reefs WorldMandarinfish A small, brightly coloured Pacific fish kept in saltwater aquariums.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1927 WorldYellow prawn-goby A small, colourful goby that shares burrows with shrimps.Other · Coasts and shelves OceaniaPajama Cardinalfish Small, spotted reef fish known for male mouthbrooding.Other · Coral reefs WorldWrasse A large family of colourful marine fish known for sex change and cleaning symbiosis.Reef fish · Coasts and shelves WorldBoxfish Armoured fish with a box-like body and toxic skin secretions.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1810 Southeast AsiaPygmy seahorse Tiny seahorses with unique brooding and camouflage traits found in Southeast Asian reefs.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇦🇺 AustraliaCommon seadragon Camouflaged marine fish with leaf-like appendages found in southern Australia.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldLongfin batfish A silver marine fish with elongated juvenile fins found across the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves WorldOrnate ghost pipefish A camouflaged reef fish with variable colours and female brood pouches.Other · Coral reefs WorldOrbicular batfish A round, silvery marine fish native to the Indo-Pacific.Other · Coasts and shelves 🇮🇳 India and 4 moreReef stonefish A highly venomous marine fish known for its rock-like camouflage and potent toxins.Other · Coasts and shelves · 1801

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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Every Monday: the fish of the day, new pages on EveryFish, and the conferences and anniversaries of the week ahead.