Some of the many creatures......

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copyright1975 by Shohei Shirai

How a fish moves:

Many fishes move by bending their bodies so their tail fins push against the water. The body fins are used for swimming across surfaces, to change position in the water, to inject poison, to frighten enemies and even to attract prey.

Scales:

The scales of a fish grow out of the skin. The patterns on the scales help fish recognize each other.

Nightlife:

Most fishes are active during the day, but some creatures hunt at night. Big eyes, cardinal fishes and squirrelfishes sleep in caves and under ledges. They may form large resting groups during the day and spread out at night to find food.

Fish Sounds:

The reef is full of animal noises. Fish make sounds by swimming, rubbing together two bony parts like teeth or spines.

Long-nose butterfly fish:

The Butterfly Fish is a brilliantly colored tropical reef fish with a very pointed nose and brush-like, re-curving (backwards bending) teeth. Some Butterfly Fish eat coral polyps. With its long nose it can reach into the cracks of the coral to find food.

Meat and Vegetables:

Abalones, limpets, trochus and turban shells are vegetarians. They use their radula to grab algae. Many other gastropods (shellfish) are carnivores: the radula (is a sharp object used to drill) is adapted to drill holes or to bite into shells.

 Morwongs:

Morwongs are eaten by humans and have thick, rubbery lips, long feathery fins and a tail that looks like a fork. They gobble mouthfuls of sand and filter it through their gill rakers, and swallow only worms and molluscs.

Roughies:

Roughies live around the rocky part of the reef. They have deep, narrow bodies with scales along their stomachs. Some make loud buzzing or clicking sounds.

Safety:

Many fish find safety in numbers: many eyes watch for predators and when one is taken, usually the rest can get away.

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