Napoleon wrasse

Photo: Ewout Knoester · CC BY-SA

The channel's resident napoleon wrasse are among the largest individuals on the Kenyan coast, reaching 1.5 m and bearing the characteristic steep forehead and fleshy lips of mature males. They are one of the few reef fish able to consume toxic sea hares and crown-of-thorns starfish, making them ecologically irreplaceable. Listed as endangered globally due to the live reef fish trade, Kisite-Mpunguti's protection has allowed adults to reach ages rarely seen elsewhere on the East African coast.