Coral reefs

Iconic species of Polynesian and Hawaiian reefs, the Achilles Tang is immediately recognizable by its dark silhouette marked with a large orange drop-shaped spot. It is seen in wave-swept areas, always on the move, grazing on algae attached to rocks.

The convict surgeonfish are common inhabitants of the lagoons and seagrass beds of the Indo-Pacific region. Fond of filamentous algae, these herbivorous fish are often found in mangroves and estuaries, at the edge of freshwater. They are easily recognizable by their vertical black stripes.

The bristle-tail file-fish (Acreichthys tomentosus) is a master of mimicry, able to change the color and texture of its skin to blend in with the epiphytes of tropical seagrass beds. It plays an ecological role in controlling the proliferation of these organisms, thus protecting the photosynthesis of the seagrasses it lives in.

This fish lives in a sea anemone. When two individuals move into the anemone, the dominant grows faster and becomes female. The pair become aggressive towards other clownfish, but they tolerate the presence of some invertebrates (shrimp, crab).

The blacklip butterflyfish has a broad geographical distribution that spans from the Red Sea to the Galápagos Islands. Typically, it is found alone or in pairs in shallow coral reefs. It feeds on polyps of soft corals, particularly leather corals and broccoli corals.

The raccoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) is a common reef fish in the Indo-Pacific. Yellow and brown in color, it feeds on nudibranchs, algae, and corals.

The eyes of this fish are masked by a colored band, and it has an eyespot at the back of its body that attracts predators to a part of the body without vital organs. It is popular among aquarists, but it requires prey of a suitable size, preferably live.

The blue-green Chromis is a fish that lives in large schools above dense coral areas. At the slightest alarm, this swift fish takes refuge in the colonies of branching corals. The Blue-green Chromis is common throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

The goldtail damselfish is a tropical fish native to the Indian Ocean and the southern tropical zone of the Pacific Ocean. Like many of its kind, this species lives in small aggregations among the branches of "stag horn" corals.

The bluestreak cleaner wrasse feeds exclusively by parasitically cleaning larger fish and turtles. In the reefs, it coordinates a cleaning station, typically near branching corals. Particularly active at the beginning of the day, these small cleaner wrasses clean the gills and mouths of many fish species.

The silver moony is a common species found in various coastal habitats, from bays and mangroves to muddy coastal reefs. It primarily feeds on plankton and detritus. Its range extends from the Red Sea and East Africa to Polynesia and Australia, including the Persian Gulf and the freshwater zone of the Mekong Delta.

Naso vlamingii, more commonly known as the bignose unicornfish, is a surgeonfish found in much of the Indo-Pacific. It has a bump above its mouth from which a blue stripe runs to the base of its eyes. It has the ability to make this stripe appear or disappear.

This fish lives camouflaged among the gorgonians. it watches its prey from a promontory and swims quickly toward them to catch them before returning to it observation post. During the breeding season, the male performs a courtship display to attract the attention of a female.

The regal angelfish is native to the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to the Tuamotu Islands. It inhabits coral reefs in lagoons and outer slopes, mainly feeding on sponges and tunicates.

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.

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.

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