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What Animals Live in the Andros Coral Reef

Despite existence concentrated to a small expanse of the Earth'due south oceans, coral reefs are dwelling house to roughly a quarter of all marine life. The two biggest reefs — the Bang-up Bulwark Reef in Australia and the Belize Bulwark Reef in the Caribbean area — are popular sites for divers and snorkelers who are looking to see the vibrant and colorful diverseness of life underwater.

Coral reefs have a reputation for existence home to colorful animals and some of the most beautiful coral and sea anemones in the world, but there's a lot of wildlife to comprehend in these diverse aquatic landscapes. Our list looks to cover the truthful diversity of animals that phone call the coral reef home, and that includes mammals and birds as well as fish and more bizarre marine life. These 10 animals couldn't be in quite the same way without the coral reef, and the reef ecosystem wouldn't be the aforementioned without them.

#10. Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Whale Sharks — Mighty But Gentle Beasts

The whale shark has the distinction of being the largest fish in the earth, and that means that it needs an environment that tin back up its ferocious ambition. As a result, whale sharks are known to migrate to coral reefs throughout the globe. Despite that, the whale shark employs an incredibly efficient approach to digestion —essentially vacuuming up anything in its path and filtering out annihilation that doesn't adapt its appetite. Feeding with whale sharks is a popular attraction throughout Belize and other locations, an deed that's a lot less threatening when yous realize that the whale shark'south 300 teeth are only used for filtering water.

The whale shark tin can grow to be over twoscore feet in length, and you can learn more than facts about this leviathan here.

#ix. Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Body of water Turtles — The Gardeners of the Reef

Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Sea Turtles — *Ruby-red ocean diving large sea turtle sitting on a colorful coral reef. Body of water turtles can concord their breath for up to five hours.*

Dark-green sea turtles are one of a rare few species of big animals that graze on seabed grass, and that can accept a dramatic event on the ecosystem — especially in an environment like a coral reef. They manage, spread, and nurture these seabeds which serve equally an integral component of the salubrious surround that coral reefs foster. The Hawksbill sea turtle in particular serves a vital part in many coral communities by pruning sponges that could otherwise halt the growth of coral and the development of richer food and habitat sources for other sea life.

Sea turtles are a vital member of coral reef ecosystems, but these highly migratory creatures accept a lot more than interesting habits you can acquire near hither.

#8. Animals That Alive in Coral Reefs: Crocodiles — Commuting Predators

Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Crocodiles — *A big crocodile waiting for its prey merely below the surface. Crocodiles have the strongest bite of whatsoever animal in the globe.*

Crocodiles are known for lurking in shallow and marshy waters, so it might come equally something of a surprise to learn that they're actually an integral function of some coral habitats. The Great Barrier Reef sees action from nearby crocodiles that call the neighboring estuaries and islands home but notwithstanding venture out to the reef in search of prey thank you to the compensation available in that location. And while crocodiles are a relative rarity in the Groovy Barrier Reef proper, some beaches have been closed thanks to crocodile sightings.

You can larn more than most the crocodile, the closest living link we have to dinosaurs, hither.

#vii. Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Dugongs — Descended From Elephants

The large and gentle dugong is evolutionarily related to the enormous country elephant, but the average person might have problem telling it apart from the manatee. Dugongs share the duty with big turtles of grazing and pruning grass on the seafloor, and coral reefs make a natural place for them to settle down. But while the coral reef is mostly lacking in predators, humans have unfortunately driven this creature nearly to the brink of extinction. And given their dull convenance cycles and pocket-size litters, the path to recovery looks long and perilous.

The dugong is the only truthful marine herbivore in Australia, and you tin can notice more about this gentle but endangered animate being hither.

#half-dozen. Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Ospreys — Reefs' Most Prevalent Seabird

The osprey is such a common seabird in coral reefs that a specific atoll in the Slap-up Bulwark Reef Organization was named Osprey Reef in honour of them. Ospreys flock around reefs in large numbers, and they're and so numerous that many of the bigger reefs really take netting up to prevent them from devastating the habitat. That said, they play an important role above the surface of the water in terms of population command and fertilizing the environment. They spread biodiversity not just past carrying species from the coral to surrounding islands and vice versa just also by fertilizing the water with their defecation.

#5. Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Manta Rays — Keeping the Whole Reef Fed

Crocodiles and seabirds tend to live on the outlying islands and venture into the coral reef to hunt for prey, just the manta ray ventures into the reef to get a good cleaning. Manta rays are regularly seen in spots where creatures regularly congregate, and they have the bacteria and grime cleaned off their surface by small and hungry fish. It's but ane sign of the uniquely symbiotic relationships that grade on barrier reefs, and information technology'southward such an established routine that many rays volition return to the aforementioned places for grooming over and over once more.

The manta ray may take the horns of a devil, but there's nothing sinister about this fish — as y'all can notice hither.

#4. Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Dolphins — Recognizing the Medicinal Value of Coral

Dolphins are one of the smartest creatures in the water, then it comes as no surprise that they'd gravitate towards the abundant food and life that can be institute in coral reefs. But while dolphins play a disquisitional function in managing wildlife numbers and pollinating surrounding ecosystems, they also seem to take discovered the medicinal value that coral offers. Documentary filmmakers have constitute instances of injured dolphins rubbing their bodies confronting coral potentially for the anti-microbial and anti-bacterial backdrop that the mucous growing on them can provide. If truthful, it's a sign that coral reefs could provide the future of medicine.

If you're merely familiar with dolphins from Flipper, yous can learn more about these fascinating and intelligent mammals here.

#three. Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Caribbean Reef Octopus — The Reef'due south Main of Disguise

Most fish and marine creatures manage to thrive especially well on coral reefs, just the Caribbean Reef Octopus is built exclusively for information technology. Found simply in the Belize Bulwark Reef — the second largest barrier reef in the globe — and the surrounding areas, this cephalopod can camouflage itself even beyond the often wildly colored patterns that make up the coral reef system. Combine this with the prodigious intelligence of this tentacled animal, and you're left with 1 of the nigh unsafe and ingenious of predators institute in coral reefs.

There may be over 300 species of octopus, but you tin can acquire the fundamentals about this fascinating marine animal here.

#2. Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Sea Dragon — Less Intimidating Than the Name Would Suggest

Thanks to the fact that it's a notoriously poor swimmer that lives an exclusively aquatic life, the sea dragon is actually a member of the seahorse family unit that'due south less effective than most of its brethren. But the fact that these creatures resemble seaweed that'southward prevalent throughout coral reefs lends them a sort of perpetual camouflage that helps protect confronting predators. But in an environment equally vibrant as a coral reef would the brilliant colors of the sea dragon exist considered camouflage rather than a liability.

In that location are three different types of ocean dragon, all of which yous can larn about in greater particular here.

#i. Animals That Live in Coral Reefs: Lionfish — A Colorful Alarm to All Predators

While the bright colors and vibrant designs of the body of water dragon actually permit them to conceal themselves among the reef, the uniquely colorful patterns of the lionfish are actually a sign for predators to stay away. The long and dangerous-looking spikes protruding from their bodies are actually poisonous bristles, and some of the venoms that some lionfish produce is plenty to impale a grown man. They're also aggressive predators in their own correct that are known to feed on fish, crab, and shrimp for sustenance.

Yous can acquire nigh the lionfish and their unique approach to survival hither.

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