Batfish

Photo: Tsu Soo Tan · CC BY-NC

Longfin batfish congregate in loose schools beneath Chebeh's granite overhangs, hovering in the filtered light in a behaviour that makes them remarkably approachable for divers. Juveniles mimic dead leaves drifting in the current, a camouflage strategy that transitions to open-water schooling as they mature. They serve as important mid-trophic prey for large pelagics and as cleaners that remove parasites from larger fish species.