Convict Surgeonfish

Photo: 吳梅君 · © all rights reserved

Convict surgeonfish move across the reef in large grazing aggregations, cropping algae from coral surfaces with broad sweeping passes. On an incoming current the schools can number in the hundreds, creating an impressive wall of striped bodies moving in synchronized formation over the reef crest. Their grazing keeps algae from overgrowing the coral surface and plays a critical role in maintaining the reef's structural integrity.