Table of Contents
How many types of fish live in the Great Barrier Reef?
1,500 species
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 is the most rarest fish in the Great Barrier Reef?
scorpion fish
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 are 5 animals that live 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.
What is the biggest fish of the Great Barrier Reef?
The whale shark is biggest of all Great Barrier Reef fish, growing up to 12m long. All Great Barrier Reef fish have ears: their ear bone is the only way for scientists to tell their age.
What small fish live in coral reefs?
Tiny gobies, like this spotted dwarfgoby, are among the smallest living vertebrates in the world, and their unique life cycles make them a critical functional group on coral reefs.
Do butterfly fish live in the Great Barrier Reef?
Butterflyfish are some of the most attractive creatures you’ll find on any coral reef. Like their terrestrial namesakes, they’re mostly brightly coloured and patterned, moving from place to place and rarely stopping anywhere for long.
What is the smallest fish in the Great Barrier Reef?
This newly described species, known as the Stout Infantfish, was discovered during a survey at Lizard Island, located on the Great Barrier Reef north of Cairns. At full adult size this fish is just 7mm in length and 1mg in weight, which is tiny, in fact the word “tiny” on this page is longer than the fish!
What is the coolest animal in the Great Barrier Reef?
#Reef animals
- Manta Ray. With the largest brain to body ratio of any living fish, these gentle giants are under threat.
- Green Turtle. As the only species in the genus Chelonia, the Green Turtle is a rare icon of the Great Barrier Reef.
- Dugong.
- Whale Shark.
- Clownfish.
- Mantis Shrimp.
- Humpback Whale.
- Giant Triton.
How many fish live in coral reefs?
Coral reefs contain the most diverse fish assemblages to be found anywhere on earth, with perhaps as many as 6,000–8,000 species dwelling within coral reef ecosystems of the world’s oceans.
Do great white sharks live in the Great Barrier Reef?
‘ There are up to 134 species of shark found on the Great Barrier Reef. Shark species found there include whitetip sharks, blacktip sharks, hammerhead sharks, tiger sharks and the strange looking Wobbegong shark. Please read on to learn that even great white sharks have been spotted on the Great Barrier Reef too.
What fish would you find in a coral reef?
Coral Reef Fishes
- Clown Triggerfish. (Balistoides conspicillum)
- Orange-green Triggerfish. (Balistapus undulatus)
- Black Triggerfish. (Odonus niger)
- Falco Hawkfish. (Cirrhitichtys falco)
- Longnosed Hawkfish. (Oxycirrhites typus)
- Copper-band Butterflyfish. (Chelmon rostratus)
- Saddleback Butterflyfish.
- Queen Angelfish.