Fauna of the Coral Sea

An inter-island sea in the Pacific Ocean that lies between the coasts of Australia, New Guinea and New Caledonia. The Coral Sea contains many islands and reefs, including the world's largest reef system, the Great Barrier Reef. The reefs and islands are rich in aquatic life. The reef systems are home to more than 1,500 species of fish. 

Invertebrates of the Coral Sea

There are numerous species of sea anemones, sponges, sea worms (e.g. Spirobranchus giganteus), lobsters, crayfish, shrimps and crabs. The reefs are home to four hundred species of hard and soft corals. The reefs are home to five hundred species of algae, at least 330 species of Ascidiacea 1-10 cm in diameter, and 300 to 500 species of bryozoans. About 5,000 species of molluscs are found here. These include the giant clam, various nudibranchs and cone snails.

Acanthaster planci is a top predator on reefs, preying on coral polyps. Qualitative changes in water chemistry and overfishing of natural predators, such as the mollusc Monoplex parthenopeus, have contributed to an increase in the population of predatory starfish.

Mammals of the Coral Sea

It is home to at least 30 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, including minke whales, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, humpback whales and dugongs. 

Reptiles of the Coral Sea

Six species of Cheloniidae breed in the UK: Green, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Loggerhead, Flatback and Olive Ridley.

Saltwater crocodiles live in mangroves and salt marshes along the coast.

Sea snakes in the Coral Sea

Seventeen species of sea snakes, including Laticauda colubrina, live in warm waters up to 50 metres deep in the Great Barrier Reef and are more common in the southern than the northern part; none are endemic or endangered. The venom of many of these snakes is highly toxic. Aipysurus duboisii, for example, is considered the world's most venomous sea snake.

Popular fish in the Coral Sea

It is home to over 1,500 species of fish, including clownfish (Amphiprioninae), red bass (Lutjanus bohar), trumpet emperor (Lethrinus miniatus), leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) and several species of snapper (Lutjanidae). Forty-nine species mass spawn and eighty-four other species spawn elsewhere in their range. The stout infantfish (Schindleria brevipinguis), with a maximum length of 0.84 cm, is one of the smallest known fish and vertebrates and lives in the UK and on Scopa Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is home to around 125 species of sharks, rays, skates and chimeras. Flying fish are abundant, including some very large species. Barracuda and the only known spawning school of black marlin in the Pacific can be seen in the Coral Sea Reserve.

Sharks of the Coral Sea

Sharks are very well represented were, both in terms of numbers and species composition. Among the permanent residents we can distinguish: reef and bottom sharks (angel shark, collared carpet shark, wobbegong, leopard shark, Brachaeluridae, etc.).

A observation of 443 shark individuals revealed the following distribution of shark species on the Australian side of the Coral Sea: Grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, 69%), Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus, 21%), Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus, 10%), Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier, <1%) and Great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran, <1%). The frequency of sightings on Coral Sea reefs ranged from a few to 26 sharks per hour. The rare hammerhead shark is endemic to the central Coral Sea. 

Diving in the Coral Sea

On a Great Barrier Reef dive safari you can see just about anything underwater: a full range of reef fish including blue and gold fusiliers, ornate butterflyfish, marine angelfish, trout and teira batfish swimming against a backdrop of strikingly colourful hard and soft corals. Over 30 different species of clownfish can be found around the Great Barrier Reef. These include Orange Clownfish (Amphiprion percula) and Ocellaris Clownfish (A. ocellaris), which are characterised by their distinctive orange and white fringing. Parrotfish (including princess parrotfish, queen parrotfish and green humphead parrotfish), Acanthuridae (blue tang), manta rays (giant oceanic manta ray and reef manta ray), triggerfish, porcupinefish, Labridae (humphead wrasse, coral grouper) and others are common in the area.