Humphead Wrasse

Photo: aazicat · CC BY-NC

Large Napoleon wrasse — locally called humphead wrasse — patrol the deeper outer slopes of Yabiji, sometimes in pairs, feeding on echinoderms and hard corals. They are among the oldest fish on the reef, with individuals potentially exceeding 30 years, and their large size and slow reproduction make them highly sensitive to overfishing. Seeing them here is a direct signal of the reef's protection status.