The most abundant fish are damselfish, wrasses, and tushfish . There are also blennies, butterfly fish, triggerfish, cowfish, pufferfish, angelfish, anemone fish, coral trout, seahorses, sea perch, sole, scorpion fish, hawkfish, and surgeonfish. The reefs are significant to the survival of some endangered species.
What is the most rarest fish in the Great Barrier Reef?
Researchers exploring the depths of the northern Great Barrier Reef have found a rare species of “walking” fish never before recorded in Australian waters. This type of scorpion fish is called the Rhinopias agriloba , is normally found in waters around Hawaii, in the central Pacific.
What kind of fish live in the Great Barrier Reef?
More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef, including the clownfish, red bass, red-throat emperor , and several species of snapper and coral trout. About 5,000 species of mollusks live on the reef.
How many types of fish live in the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef is home to more than 1,500 species of fish, 411 types of hard coral, one-third of the world's soft corals, 134 species of sharks and rays, six of the world's seven species of threatened marine turtles, and more than 30 species of marine mammals, including the vulnerable dugong.
What lives in the Great Barrier Reef?
The Great Barrier Reef is a refuge for many species of conservation concern. These species of conservation concern include inshore dolphins, whales, dugongs, sawfish, sea snakes, marine turtles and some fish and sharks .
Are there crocodiles in the Great Barrier Reef?
Saltwater crocodiles are typically found in the murky waterways, rivers, lakes, and swamps in the Northern region of Australia. However, on occasion, they can be found in the ocean region, with the beaches and islands in the Great Barrier Reef known to have an occasional croc sighting .
Are there sharks in the Great Barrier Reef?
There are many different species of sharks found in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef ranging from small bottom-dwelling sharks such as wobbegongs to larger types such as tiger sharks and the distinctive hammerhead shark that has a nose shaped like the letter ‘t'.
What is killing the Great Barrier Reef?
According to the GBRMPA in 2014, the most significant threat to the status of the Great Barrier Reef is climate change , due to the consequential rise of sea temperatures, gradual ocean acidification and an increase in the number of “intense weather events”.
Can a fish walk on land?
A team of U.S. National Science Foundation-funded scientists has identified at least 11 species of fish suspected to have land-walking abilities. ... Though more than 100 species of hillstream loach are found throughout Southeast Asia, the cave angel fish is the only one whose walking capabilities have been observed.
What eats clown fish?
Clownfish are also known as “anemonefish” because they live in community with sea anemones. ... Besides dead tentacles and anemone's leftovers, clownfish eats various algae and plankton. Even though anemone provides protection against predators, clownfish is often preyed by large fish, eels and sharks .
Does the Great Barrier Reef have fish?
There are more than 1,500 species of fish at the Great Barrier Reef , and they're incredibly varied in size, shape and colour. ... These are one of the ‘Great Eight' iconic creatures on the Great Barrier Reef.
What two things are threatening the Great Barrier Reef?
- Water quality. Increasing sediment, nutrients and contaminants, combined with rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification are damaging the Reef.
- Crown of Thorns Starfish. ...
- Coastal development.
Is coral an animal?
Though coral may look like a colorful plant growing from roots in the seafloor, it is actually an animal . Corals are known as colonial organisms, because many individual creatures live and grow while connected to each other. ... The tiny, individual organisms that make up large coral colonies are called coral polyps.
What is the largest animal in the Great Barrier Reef?
Mollusks. Mollusks are a widely divergent order of animals, including species clams, oysters, and cuttlefish. Marine biologists believe there are at least 5,000 and possibly as many as 10,000 species of mollusks inhabiting the Great Barrier Reef, the most visible being the giant clam , which can weigh up to 500 pounds.
Who discovered the Great Barrier Reef?
European exploration of the reef began in 1770, when the British explorer Capt. James Cook ran his ship aground on it. The work of charting channels and passages through the maze of reefs, begun by Cook, continued during the 19th century.
What animals rely on coral reefs?
Thousands of marine animals depend on coral reefs for survival, including some species of sea turtles, fish, crabs, shrimp, jellyfish, sea birds, starfish , and more. Coral reefs provide shelter, spawning grounds, and protection from predators. They also support organisms at the base of ocean food chains.
