(Euphyllia paraancora)
Coral fragments, often called “frags,” are mounted onto sturdy bases to allow the piece of coral to grow into a larger colony.
(Paracirrhites arcatus) These fish are voracious predators and very territorial. They spend most of day perched on top of corals waiting for prey to come too close.
(Stenopus hispidus)
Males and females of this species pair off as juveniles, often remaining together for months or even years.
(Echinothrix calamaris)
They use these spines to explore their environment, and the secondary spines as defense to protect their body or test.
(Pterapogon kauderni) Benggai cardinalfish hatchlings remain in their father’s mouth until they absorb their yolk sacs and are large enough to begin hunting for food.
(Kuhlia mugil)
These fish are active during the day and often feed on small invertebrates that they find in sandy or rocky areas near coral reefs.
(Pseudanthias bicolor)
These fish occur at depths usually deeper than 30 feet, around corals and deep ledges. They typically like to be in strong currents that bring lots of plankton for them to feed on.
(Gomphosus varius)
This fish gets its name from its long snout, which resembles a bird’s beak. Female bird wrasses have different color patterns than the males do, so they’re easily identified along the reef.
(Tubastraea micrantha)
Not all corals are reef-building or rely on photosynthesis for food production. This cup coral, like many of the local corals found in Puget Sound, must catch food in its tentacles, which is ideal for living in deeper waters.
(Holothuria atra)
This common Hawaiian cucumber is often found fully exposed on the ocean floor coated in sand. A small, spotted, commensal crab can be found living near its mouth.
(Chromis vanderbilti)
These fish form large schools that feed on zooplankton above the reef and will quickly retreat into coral colonies if threatened by a predator.
(Dardanus sanguinocarpus)
These hermit crabs get their common name from the reddish-purple patch of exoskeleton above their pincers.
(Acropora efforescens)
Algae living inside the tissues of coral undergoes photosynthesis. The photosynthesis gives the algae energy and its byproducts give the coral energy.
(Acalycigorgia sp.)
Sea fans belong to a group of soft corals also known as gorgonians. They grow in a fan pattern across the current to maximize flow in order to capture plankton.
(Acropora valida)
Corals are actually a colony of animals living and working as one animal.
One coral polyp is considered a single animal. Coral polyps all share the same skin, stomach and skeleton.
(Chromis viridis)
These fish swim together in schools and duck into the coral for protection. They lay eggs on rocks and are very protective.
(Zoramia leptacanthus)
Like many cardinalfish, this species is a paternal mouthbrooder. The male holds fertilized eggs in his mouth until they hatch. During this time, he doesn’t eat and will keep the eggs clean and oxygenated by rolling them around in his mouth.
(Rumphella sp.)
Gorgonians are actually soft corals that have rigid skeletons. Their skeletons don’t make coral reefs like those of hard corals.
(Acropora latistella)
Stony corals have many growth patterns: branching, encrusting and table/plating are some examples. Currents, water flow, and lighting can affect how coral colonies will grow.
(Entacmea quadricolor)
These anemones often reproduce asexually in a process called longitudinal fission. When reproducing, a single bubbletip anemone pinches its body until it splits into two identical halves, which each eventually develop into a full-grown clone of the original.
(Palythoa spp.)
Members of the Palythoa genuscan emit palytoxin when handled or disturbed. This toxin causes many symptoms with varying degrees of severity.
(Stichodactyla sp.)
Carpet anemones are photosynthetic and sunlight provides them with the majority of the energy they need to survive.
(Pocillopora damicornis)
Algae living inside the tissues of coral undergoes photosynthesis. The photosynthesis gives the algae energy and its byproducts give the coral energy..
(Amphiprion ocellaris)
Also known as anemonefish, these animals are often found in or near sea anemones and are immune to anemones’ stings.
(Stylophora subseriata)
Corals are covered with polyps. Each polyp has a mouth surrounded by tentacles, just like anemones have.
(Calloplesiops altivelis)
These fish have a false eyespot along the trailing edge of their dorsal fin. This is thought to mimic the appearance of a moray eel.
(Acanthurus triostegus)
This fish gets its name from its distinctive black stripes, which resemble an old-fashioned prison uniform.
(Chelmon rostratus)
These fish have a long, narrow nose that helps them find food in holes and crevices. The large black dot on their rear dorsal fin serves as a false eyespot and confuses predators.
(Culcita novaeguineae)
If flipped over, this sea star can right itself by inflating one half of its body with water, arching over and righting itself with the grip of its tube feet.
(Scorpaenopsis diabolus)
This fish blends in with its surroundings, holding still on the bottom waiting for prey. It flashes its pectoral fins when disturbed, revealing the bright orange and red coloration underneath.
(Sepia bandensis)
Dwarf cuttlefish have specialized cells in their skin that allow them to change colors rapidly. These fish can also change their skin’s texture. They use their abilities to change color and texture for communication, camouflage and mating. Dwarf cuttlefish reproduce by laying fertilized eggs underneath rocks. These eggs are injected with ink, making them black in appearance. When the baby cuttlefish are born, they are replicas of the adults—and the size of pencil erasers.
(Pomacanthus imperator)
These fish are characterized by their vibrant coloration, which consists of alternating vertical stripes of blue and yellow on the body. They also have a bright blue ring around their eyes and a yellow tail fin. Emperor angelfish are omnivores and feed on a variety of food sources, including small fish, invertebrates, and algae. They are known to be quite territorial and may aggressively defend their feeding and nesting areas.
(Goniastrea sp.)
Hard corals create skeletons of calcium carbonate; these skeletons are the structures that form a coral reef.
(Montipora sp.)
Corals are actually a colony of animals living and working as one animal.
One coral polyp is considered a single animal. Coral polyps all share the same skin, stomach and skeleton.
(Galaxea sp.)
Galaxy coral has very long tentacles that it uses to fight off other animals on the reef.
(Ctenochaetus strigosus)
Named for the golden rings around their eyes, goldring surgeonfish have bristle-like teeth that allow them to scrape food off rocks. These fish can be found, along with yellow tangs, sometimes cleaning the shells of sea turtles by eating algae that has grown on them.
(Rumphella sp.)
Gorgonians are actually soft corals that have rigid skeletons. Their skeletons don’t make coral reefs like those of hard corals.
(Zoanthus sp.)
Individual button polyps are often connected to each other, forming a carpet-like colony.
(Rhodactis sp.)
Though they have symbiotic zooxanthellae for photosynthesis, mushroom corals can also capture food by folding their discs around prey and engulfing it.
(Kuhlia xenura)
Hawaiian flagtails school during the day and disperse to feed on plankton at night. When young, these fish swim along beaches and in tide pools. As Hawaiian flagtails get older, they move to the tops of reefs and along drop-offs where the wave action is strong.
(Abudefduf abdominalis)
Hawaiian sergeant majors are one of the most abundant reef fish in Hawaii. They spend a lot of their time high in the water, feeding on plankton. When mating or guarding their purplish-red egg masses, these fish’s abdomens can develop subtle yellow striping.
(Colobocentrotus atratus)
These urchins have five-part radial jaws and teeth that are controlled by 60 different muscles— giving them the power to feed by scraping algae off of rocks. The tube feet of these urchins are extremely strong and help them cling to exposed rock in high surge areas. Their Hawaiian name h`uke`uke kaupali means “cliff-clinging.”
(Hippocampus erectus)
Male, not female, lined seahorses incubate eggs in a special brood pouch.
(Forcipiger flavissimus)
This fish is commonly seen throughout tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific.
(Chaetodon miliaris)
These Hawaiian butterflyfish are opportunistic feeders: they’ll eat plankton, fish eggs, algae and small invertebrates, and also clean parasites off other fish. Sometimes a school of milletseed butterflyfish can be seen cleaning each other.
(Tubastraea sp.)
Since cup corals are not dependent on photosynthesis, they prefer shaded areas such as walls beneath overhanging ledges, pilings, or even ship hulls. This Indo-Pacific species’ ability to settle in these areas has allowed to it become invasive in the Caribbean Sea, where it grows commonly on the many oil rigs and shipwrecks.
(Centropyge potteri)
Potter’s angelfish are the most common angelfish in Hawaii, but you normally have to be scuba diving to see them. These fish are territorial and may be found in pairs—or a male may have a harem of females.
(Halichoeres ornatissimus)
Males and females of this species look alike. Juveniles can be distinguished by darker color and a pair of black spots on their dorsal fin. This is one of several wrasses that are sometimes called “Christmas wrasses” due to their red and green coloration. Males and females of this species look alike. Juveniles can be distinguished by darker color and a pair of black spots on their dorsal fin
(Montipora capricornis)
Corals are related to anemones and jellyfish, which all belong to the phylum Cnidaria.
(Balistapus undulatus)
These fish are named for their distinctive coloration, which includes bright orange lines that contrast against a black body. The lines extend from the eyes to the tail, and the fins are also brightly colored. Orangelined triggerfish are carnivorous and feed on a variety of small invertebrates, crustaceans, and other fish. They have strong, sharp teeth and powerful jaws that they use to crack open hard-shelled prey such as crabs and snails. Like other triggerfish, orang-lined triggerfish have a unique defense mechanism in which they can lock their dorsal spine in an upright position to prevent predators from swallowing them. This feature has also earned them the name “triggerfish,” as they can trigger the spine to lock in place.
(Anampses chrysocephalus)
These wrasses were named for the males’ bright orange heads with electric blue dots and radiating white lines. Juveniles and females of many wrasse species are plainly colored. Adult males are quite vibrant.
(Menella sp.)
Even though they are called soft corals, gorgonians have a stiff but flexible skeleton that gives them structure to withstand ocean currents. Just like other corals, some gorgonians must capture food in their polyps while others have symbiotic algae
that provide nutrients through photosynthesis.
(Chaetodon lunula)
With their masked eyes and white bars on their faces, raccoon butterflyfish are named for the land mammals they resemble. Like other butterflyfish, these fish are brightly colored and very fast and agile—able to navigate tight crevices and corals for protection.
(Fungia sp.)
Corals in this family are often found unattached to substrate (such as rocks) and have the capability to right themselves if overturned.
(Pterois volitans)
The tropical regions of the Indian and Western Pacific oceans are the natural habitats of red lionfish. These fish are thought to have been accidentally introduced in Florida in the mid-1980s and are now common throughout the Caribbean and as far north as New York. Red lionfish numbers have grown to alarming levels in parts of the Atlantic Ocean because they have no natural predators there.
(Mycedium robokaki)
Chalice corals also use their sweeper tentacles to attack other corals and keep them from growing too close to the colony.
(Thalassoma duperrey, Hawaiian name: hnlea lauwili)
Small adults and juvenile fish can set up cleaning stations for reef fish, while the large adults will assist at green turtle cleaning stations. The terminal male phase, or supermale, has a bright white band between the orange and green shades of its body. Those without this band are called initial phase adults and can be male or female.
(Cirrhipathes spiralis)
Wire corals are part of the family of black corals named for their dark brown or black skeletons. The skeleton of some black coral species can be polished and turned into a gemstone which is not only often used in jewelry, but is also the state gem of the state of Hawaii.
(Macropharyngodon geoffroyi)
These fish feed on small marine snails and invertebrates. At night or when threatened, these fish will swim very fast into the sand to bury themselves.
(Mastigias papua)
These beautiful jellies are found in calm, protected waters throughout the tropical Pacific. Spotted lagoon jellyfish are strong swimmers—for jellyfish, anyway—and reach 6” in diameter when fully grown. These jellyfish have several small mouth openings on each of their frilly oral arms that they use to capture and eat zooplankton. They are also photosynthetic: they harbor symbiotic algae within their tissues and rely on it for much of their daily energy needs.
(Montipora tuberculosa)
To reduce impact on wild coral reefs, the Seattle Aquarium propagates new colonies from our existing corals.
(Chaetodon auriga)
Threadfin butterflyfish are very territorial against each other, but known to travel in pairs. These fish have fairly large false eyespots on their dorsal fins with thread-like filaments trailing them, which may trick predators into attacking their backsides, rather than their fronts.
(Sarcophyton sp.)
Like gorgonians, sea pens and sea whips, leather corals are octocorals. Each tentacle is symmetrical and is topped with eight branches.
(Caulastrea curvata)
Trumpet corals have very large polyps that they can use to capture and eat zooplankton. Like most corals, trumpet corals are also photosynthetic and able to convert sunlight into energy.
(Hydnophora rigida)
Coral can reproduce asexually by budding, which occurs when tissue or the skeleton breaks away from the colony and grows nearby.
(Echinophyllia spp.)
These corals feed mostly at night by using their long sweeper tentacles.
(Turbinaria reniformis)
Corals are covered with polyps.
Each polyp has a mouth surrounded by tentacles, just like anemones have.
(Zebrasoma flavescens)
This fish grazes mostly on algae, and will even eat algae off the backs of sea turtles.
(Mulloidichthys flavolineatus)
Goatfish have appendages under their lower jaw called barbels. These barbels are used to sift through sand and rocks to find worms, shrimp and other invertebrates to eat. Yellowstripe goatfish often form schools during the day and spread out at night.
(Coris gaimard)
The yellowtail coris searches for food by turning over pieces of rock and coral with its mouth. When feeding on urchins, this fish will grab an urchin in its jaws and knock it against a rock to remove the spines before eating it.
