Dog-tooth tuna

Photo: Barna Takats · CC BY-NC

The apex pelagic predator of Indonesia's outer reef walls, dog-tooth tuna are powerful, fast-swimming fish that can exceed 130 kg and 2 metres in length. Unlike most tuna they are solitary or in small groups rather than schooling, and they hunt by bursting from open water onto reef fish that have strayed too far from cover. At Dodola's exposed outer walls, they patrol at mid-water just beyond the reef edge, often approaching divers out of curiosity before veering away at speed. Their presence is a strong indicator of a healthy, unfished reef system.