Napoleon Wrasse

Photo: Eden Katz · © all rights reserved

Napoleon wrasse, one of the largest reef fish in the world reaching up to 2 metres, use their thick lips and powerful jaws to crush hard corals, sea urchins, and molluscs that most predators cannot access. By breaking open coral heads they expose internal cavities colonised by other organisms, contributing to reef structural complexity. They are listed as endangered due to targeted fishing pressure and their extremely slow reproductive rate.