Species of the Coral Zone

Amphiprion frenatus is a clownfish from the western Pacific Ocean. It is recognisable by its orange-red colour and single white bar behind the eye. It lives in symbiosis with the bubble-tip anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor, in lagoons and sheltered reefs.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Perciformes
    
  • Family: Pomacentridae
    
  • Species: Amphiprion frenatus (Brevoort, 1856)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Centropyge loricula is a dwarf angelfish from the central and western Pacific Ocean. It is recognisable by its orange-red colour crossed by black vertical bars and lives in small harems on reef slopes, where it grazes mainly on filamentous algae.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Perciformes
    
  • Family: Pomacanthidae
    
  • Species: Centropyge loricula (Günther, 1874)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Ostorhinchus aureus is a nocturnal fish from the Indo-Pacific region. It lives in groups near corals and crevices and is recognisable by its copper-coloured body and black, hourglass-shaped bar on the tail.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Perciformes
    
  • Family: Apogonidae
    
  • Species: Ostorhinchus aureus (Lacepède, 1802)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • Special feature: Mouthbrooder; the male carries the eggs in his mouth.

Pseudocheilinus hexataenia is a small wrasse from the Indo-Pacific region. It lives in dense coral reefs, where it slips between the corals to hunt small crustaceans and worms.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Perciformes
    
  • Family: Labridae
    
  • Species: Pseudocheilinus hexataenia (Bleeker, 1857)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Synchiropus splendidus is a small fish from the western Pacific Ocean, renowned for its vivid colours. It lives in lagoons and sheltered reefs, where it moves close to the substrate to capture tiny invertebrates.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Syngnathiformes (or Callionymiformes)
    
  • Family: Callionymidae
    
  • Species: Synchiropus splendidus (Herre, 1927)
• Population et conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Zebrasoma gemmatum is a rare surgeonfish from the western Indian Ocean. It is recognisable by its black body covered with white spots and its yellow tail. It lives on coral and rocky reefs, where it grazes mainly on algae.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Perciformes
    
  • Family: Acanthuridae
    
  • Species: Zebrasoma gemmatum (Valenciennes, 1835)
• Population and conservation:
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable

Zebrasoma xanthurum is a surgeonfish endemic to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It is recognisable by its deep blue body and yellow tail and lives on reefs, where it grazes on filamentous algae.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Actinopterygii
    
  • Order: Perciformes
    
  • Family: Acanthuridae
    
  • Species: Zebrasoma xanthurum (Blyth, 1852)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Labroides dimidiatus is a small cleaner wrasse from the Indo-Pacific region. It lives on coral reefs, where it removes parasites and dead tissue from other fish at cleaning stations.

• Taxonomy :
  • Class : Actinopterygii
  • Order : Perciformes
  • Family : Labridae
  • Species : Labroides dimidiatus (Valenciennes, 1839)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Least Concern (LC)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable
  • Population trend: Stable

Paracentrotus lividus is a sea urchin found in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic Ocean. It lives on rocky seabeds and in Posidonia seagrass meadows, where it grazes on algae and marine flowering plants.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Echinoidea
    
  • Order: Camarodonta
    
  • Family: Parechinidae
    
  • Species: Paracentrotus lividus (Lamarck, 1816)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE) globally
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Sinularia dura is a soft coral from the Indo-Pacific region. It forms lobed or tree-like colonies with a rubbery texture and can shed its outer layer to remove accumulated sediment.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Anthozoa
    
  • Order: Malacalcyonacea
    
  • Family: Alcyoniidae
    
  • Species: Sinularia dura (Pratt, 1903)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable

Palythoa vestitus is an Indo-Pacific zoanthid that forms colonies of encrusting polyps. Particular caution is required because it may contain palytoxin, an extremely powerful natural toxin.

• Taxonomy:
  • Class: Anthozoa
    
  • Order: Zoantharia
    
  • Family: Sphenopidae
    
  • Species: Palythoa vestitus (Verrill, 1928)
• Population and conservation :
  • IUCN status: Not Evaluated (NE)
  • CITES: Not applicable
  • EEP: Not applicable