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The Humphead Maori Wrasse is the largest fish in the Great Barrier Reef, with distinct patterns and colouration on the head. The wrasse has strong teeth and a variable diet of sea snails, sea urchins, crown-of-thorns starfish, and crustaceans, due to its adaptation to tolerate toxins. An interesting part of their life cycle is sex change. The wrasse is a protogynous hermaphrodite, as the individuals start life as a female and can change to a male later.

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Māori Wrasse | One of the Largest Fish On The Reef Explained

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Reaching up to 2 metres in length, the Māori wrasse is among the largest reef fish, known for its bold colours and forehead hump.

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Mantis Shrimp (Stomatopoda) – Extreme Biomechanics in Coral Reef Predators

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Mantis Shrimp (Stomatopoda) – Extreme Biomechanics in Coral Reef Predators

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Mantis shrimp

I chose the mantis shrimp because it represents one of the most extreme examples of biomechanical performance in marine ecosystems. Stomatopods are capable of delivering ultra-fast strikes (up to ~23 m/s), generating forces comparable to a .22 caliber bullet.

This rapid movement creates cavitation bubbles that collapse and produce secondary shockwaves, enhancing the destructive impact on prey. Such adaptations allow mantis shrimp to efficiently break hard shells and capture fast-moving organisms.

In addition, mantis shrimp possess highly complex visual systems with up to 16 photoreceptor types, enabling detection of polarized and ultraviolet light. This advanced vision supports predation, communication, and navigation within structurally complex coral reef habitats.

Although mantis shrimp are not currently classified as endangered, they depend on healthy reef ecosystems. Therefore, they are indirectly threatened by coral reef degradation driven by climate change, ocean acidification, and habitat loss.

🔗 Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature02500

Patek, S. N., Korff, W. L., & Caldwell, R. L. (2004). Biomechanics: Deadly strike mechanism of a mantis shrimp. Nature, 428(6985), 819–820. https://doi.org/10.1038/428819a

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It is so iconic in fact, that apparently it "makes up 43% of the global marine ornamental trade, with 75% of these fish captured from the wild".

However, it is not protected or considered endangered.

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Small and colourful, these famous fishes have one of the most interesting symbiotic relationships.

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I chose the mantis shrimp because it’s incredibly powerful despite its small size. It has one of the fastest and strongest punches in the animal kingdom, which makes it really unique and interesting.A mantis shrimp can punch so fast (about 23 m/s) that it creates tiny bubbles in the water that collapse with heat and light, basically a mini underwater shockwave! Even if it misses, the shockwave can still kill its prey.

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Mantis shrimp: The crustacean that packs a punch | Natural History Museum

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Mantis shrimps might be small, but their punches can boil water and even produce light.

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Green turtles are only harbivour turtle and scientists believe that they are named after the greenish colour of thier fat not the shells.

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physical contact a person, boat or fishing gear has with a protected species that causes the animal stress, injury or death

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physical contact a person, boat or fishing gear has with a protected species that causes the animal stress, injury or death

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Responsible for the efficient management and sustainable use of Commonwealth fish resources on behalf of the Australian community. Contact us to find out more.

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I've got to go with the classic, the clownfish. Coming from a country far away from any coral reef, this species of fish was my first contact point to coral reefs through the movie Nemo as a kid. Been in love with the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef ever since!

The clownfish is listed as least concerned (population trend stable) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

Fun Fact: Though there are theories, it is not yet known how clownfish survive the anemone’s poison.

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The cutest!

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Restoring the world's largest green turtle nesting area on Raine Island.

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The giant clam is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.

There is a mutualistic relationship between algae and the giant clam. There is algar inside the clam, during the day, the clam will open their shells for the purpose of letting the algar inside to conduct photosynthesis

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Giant Clam - Great Barrier Reef Foundation

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A mammoth mollusc, but not a man-eating one!

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https://www.barrierreef.org/the-reef/animals/giant-triton

The Giant Tritons are sea snails and one of the largest molluscs in the world. They produce a paralyzing saliva to hunt starfish (including crown-of-thorns) and other molluscs. They are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list, but their population trends remain unknown

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These giant sea snails play a vital role in protecting our Reef.

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https://www.barrierreef.org/the-reef/animals/dugong-facts

They can be called sea cows which are fitting because thy graze seagrass throughout the day similar to a cow on land! Their diet predominately seagrass, which is sadly scarce.

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Found mostly in Australia, Dugong are more closely related to elephants than to whales and dolphins.

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been fascinated by them since i was a child. they are incredidbly agile. and have soe extrordinary habits not just cleanliness but also in weather prediction and surface behaviours.

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The largest of all rays and one of the largest fish in the ocean, find out about the majestic manta ray and their life on the Great Barrier Reef.