Great Barrier Reef - List of fishes

The eye of this fish is masked by a black band that disrupts the visual perception of it body by predators. It has venomous spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins. It is easy to maintain in captivity but they need hiding places for shelter.

By day, these fish form a small group and remain free from branched corals. At night, the group dislocates and specimens go down near the bottom for food. During the incubation period, the eggs are kept in the mouth of the male. The latter fasts until they hatch.

The scalloped hammerhead shark, a semi-oceanic hammerhead, is found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. This species is easily recognizable by its curved flat head and black tips on the pectoral fins. These sharks feed on fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans, taking advantage of their flat head to make tight turns while hunting. Although potentially dangerous and aggressive towards intruders, attacks on humans are rare. Conversely, despite its wide distribution, this species is threatened with extinction.

The sailfin snapper frequents sandy bottoms in the immediate vicinity of coral reefs. This usually solitary fish preys on other fish, crustaceans, and various mollusk species. It is a tropical fish occasionally targeted by fishermen.

The skin of this species secretes a toxic mucus for predators and parasites. This fish is territorial and fights involving males are common. To lay eggs, both partners embrace and rise to the surface to release their reproductive cells that will be mixed by sea currents.

The sixbar wrasse frequents shallow lagoons and offshore coral reefs. It lives in small, scattered groups and spends its days hunting small fish and foraminifera, tiny single-celled organisms. Like other wrasses, this fish changes color throughout its growth.

The moon wrasse inhabits the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. This species is sometimes referred to as the moon wrasse due to the shape and yellow color of their caudal fin. This wrasse primarily feeds on small invertebrates residing in the rocks and fish eggs.

The twotone tang, like its counterparts, possesses scalpels at the base of the caudal fin. In times of danger, it can extend two small blades for protection against predators. Adults of these fish typically live in groups of around twenty individuals. They gather in large schools to spawn during the breeding season. They are exclusively herbivorous and graze on algae in coral-rich areas.

These surgeonfish are exclusively herbivorous, feeding on leafy algae near the reefs. The juveniles live alone among rocks or corals at shallow depths.