Coral reef animals list

What are some coral reef herbivores? What endangered animals live in coral reefs? What creatures live in the coral reef? What organisms live in coral reefs?

Clown fish or also known as anemone fish lives in the anemone. Together, they create such a symbiotic.

They love to live in the sea floor and they also have. Coral reefs need light to grow so only occur in shallow waters. A healthy coral reef system can support a huge number of aquatic animal life. Some of the most colorful animal species in the world make their home among the coral. Around a coral reef live many animals such as sponges , mollusks , crustaceans , sea anemones , a wide variety of fish , and even the coral itself is an animal.

The relationship between fish and coral reefs is a complex one. Research indicates that nearly a third of every single species of saltwater fish spends a portion of their lives within coral reefs. Scientists are still perplexed over why so many types of fish live within coral reefs.

Several theories such as the availability of food have been put forward to try and explain the phenomenon. The species of fish found in coral reefs occupy various levels of the food chain with some such as sharks being predators while others such as parrotfish feed on algae. The fish species living in the coral reefs have developed a wide range of adaptations to ensure they thrive within their habitats.

See full list on worldatlas. Besides fish, several types of plants are found within coral reefs. Algaeare one of the most important plant species found within coral reefs. They provide food for many organisms within the ecosystem.

The type of algae within a coral reef varies with some being unicellular while others are more complex and multicellular. In some cases, algae may have a negative impact on the coral reefs. Pollution by farm chemicals may lead to the proliferation of algae which will reduce the oxygen available for the rest of the organisms within the ecosystem.

Lower levels of oxygen inhibit the calcification of coral. To prevent the algae from overcoming the coral reef , several sea urchins feed on the algae. Another plant species that significantly benefits from the coral reefs is the seagrass.

Several types of seagrass inhabit the areas around and within the coral reefs. One of the most significant benefits of coral reefs to seagrass is that they shield them from waves which pose a significant risk. Mammals within the coral reef ecosystem are rare sights.

When mammals are spotted in coral reefs, they are usually visiting to feed. Within the Great Barrier Reef , a few species of whales are also found such as the humpback and Dwarf Minke whales.

Invertebrates are some of the organisms that make their habitat in the coral reefs. Some invertebrates such as bivalve live within the skeleton of the coral reef. Some bird species are heavily dependent on the coral system. An atoll called the Midway Atoll which is located in Hawaii is home to nearly 000birds. Among the birds that make their home on the atoll is the Laysan albatross, a species of albatross which is considered nearly threatened.

The vulnerable short-tailed albatross also makes its home on the atoll. The coral reefs found around the world face many threats such as mining and pollution. The risks significantly reduce the amount of coral available all over the world and thereby significantly affect the organisms that have adapted to rely on coral reefs. The threats are diverse and although some activities have an indirect impact they still affect the coral reefs.

Coral mining is one of the most substantial challenges facing the reefs as massive amounts of coral are extracted to satisfy ever-growing demand. The extracted coral may be used in construction or the making of jewelry. Some fishing methods such as blast fishing also pose a high risk to the coral reefs. Pollution from farms raises the nutrient content of the sea which increases the number of algae in the sea reducing the oxygen available for the rest of the organisms. From tiny nudibranchs to massive sharks, thousands of species depend on coral ecosystems for protection, food and shelter.

You never know who you’ll meet on the reef. There are two main types of coral reef habitat which are hard coral reefs and soft coral reefs. Soft corals are individual animals (known as polyps) which move through the waters, and eventually settle. The hard corals are the reef -building corals and often consist of dead corals which have left a hard coral shell behind them when they die.

The largest coral reefs can be found in the Caribbean, the south-west coast of Africa, and all around south-east Asia, Australasia and throughout the coastal regions of the South Pacific Ocean. Numerous different animal species inhabit coral reefs around the world and vary tremendously in size, shape and colour. Starfish, sea urchins and crustaceans are the most commonly found invertebrates on coral reefs, and countless species of fish including seahorses and eels can also be spotted with ease. Many species of sea snakes live in coastal waters particularly around south-east Asia, hunting small fish and eels in the coral reefs.

Other animals may not inhabit the coral reefs permanently, but will pay frequent visits to the them in order to find food. Sharks are the most commonly found predators around coral reefs as they either feed there while they are passing or visit on a regular basis. Sea turtles can also be seen around coral reefs as they hunt for foo but they do not permanently exist there are they spend their lives swimming in the open ocean alone. The biggest threats to coral reefs and coastline wildlife are pollution, storms and commercial fishing. Dredging, is a type of fishing method that involves dragging the nets across the sea bed in order to get more fish.

This method of fishing is extremely destructive to coral reefs particularly when so many of them are filled with animal species that are already on the brink of extinction (including many species of coral ). Sea storms such as tsunamis can also have a devastating effect on coral reef communities, as one large wave can tear apart a whole reef community in an instant. The soft organic form of the Fox coral make them one of the prettiest types of coral reef species. Fox corals , also known as Jasmine coral or Nemenzophyllia , are one of the most attractive coral reef species.

These ruffled polyps range in colour, from light pink through to greeny blue hues. The Northwest Hawaiian Island coral reefs, which are part of the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Monument, provide an example of the diversity of life associated with shallow-water reef ecosystems. This coral reef has more biodiversity than in any of the waters of India. It is one of only a few pristine systems in Sri Lanka. Belize Barrier Reef : Belize: This is the second biggest coral reef system on Earth, the largest being the Great Barrier Reef.

Invasive species can create an imbalance in the biological checks and balances of a reef ecosystem. Global Threats to Coral Reefs. Increased ocean temperatures and changing ocean chemistry are the greatest global threats to coral reef ecosystems. The warm waters around tropical coral reefs are home to a huge variety of fish and other sea animals. Most of the fish are colorful and have interesting markings.

Their bright colors help them to find each other or scare away predators (attackers). Today, marine reptiles are not the most common residents of the coral reef , but they are definitely among the most beautiful. Perhaps the most well known reptiles in this group are the sea turtles.

There are many different species of sea turtle, ranging in size from only feet to the real giants at over feet in length. Countless numbers of creatures rely on coral reefs for their survival. These important habitats are threatened by a range of human activities. The royal gramma is a beautiful coral reef fish found only in Caribbean reefs. This fish is very shy and secretive, and feeds on drifting plankton and small crustaceans.

The yellow and purple coloration of this species appears darker underwater, helping the fish to blend in with its surroundings. Coral is a class of colonial animal that is related to hydroids, jellyfish, and sea anemones. Stony corals, a type of coral characterized by their hard skeleton, are the bedrock of the reef.

Stony coral colonies are composed of hundreds of thousands of individual living polyps.