The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world…you can even see it from space! It has over 1625 types of fish. Let’s meet a few.
Clownfish
The Great Barrier Reef is home to many animals such as fish, sharks, turtles, and dugongs. You can find clownfish there, too – the orange-and-white fish made famous in the movie Finding Nemo.
Like Rana the Tree Frog, clownfish depend on very specific habitats. When those habitats change, even the most colourful creatures disappear.
Jellyfish
More than 100 species of jellyfish call the Great Barrier Reef home, including the stinging bluebottles and box jellyfish. Although jellyfish don’t have a brain, heart, or blood, some can see. The box jellyfish has 24 ‘eyes’, 2 of which can see in colour. With its unique visual sensors, it’s one of the few creatures on Earth to have a full 360-degree view, helping it to quickly respond to changes in its environment.
Giant Triton
Over the last 30 years, coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef has declined in some areas, in part due to the crown-of-thorns starfish, a large sea star that feeds on coral. The Giant Triton, a large sea snail, is one of the few predators that successfully hunt these starfish. Scientists have been doing all they can to naturally restore the reef with the help of giant tritons, but these Reef protectors need our help to keep their ecosystem going.
Check out the Barrier Reef Foundation’s website to find out more about these fascinating creatures deep down in the ocean. https://www.barrierreef.org/the-reef/animals