The fish of the Red Sea
- Friendly Fins
- Dec 23, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 7
The most famous coral reef fish
17% of the species existing in the Red Sea are endemic, that is, they only live here, so we will have the opportunity to see unique animals that we could admire only and exclusively in these splendid waters. It will be impossible to perfectly recognize all the fish that we will see but we can at least have an idea of which family they belong to based on some tricks and identification signs.
"Let's get started!"
Butterfly fish are about 400 different species of super colorful fish that do not exceed 20/30 cm in length.
How do we recognize them? From their modest size and the lateral compression of their body, thanks to this shape they are able to move agilely among the corals and be excellent predators of polyps (the small animals that build the coral) and anemones.
But not only from their shape! Their name precedes them, in fact these colorful fish like butterflies also have dark spots that resemble fake eyes just like those that butterflies have on their wings. With this ingenious adaptation, butterfly fish are able to confuse the predator and manage to escape.
Finally, a characteristic that makes them quickly recognizable is their habit of living in pairs! Yes, butterfly fish are monogamous and therefore live together all their lives, we can therefore see them in pairs of two and also forming large schools like the flag butterfly fish, but their number will absolutely always be even!
They live a few meters deep and always in the same places, in fact they are territorial and it is very likely that by diving and snorkeling in the same place, we will always see the same specimens!
"Pay attention!"
Angelfish
Also very colorful, they are slightly larger fish than most reef fish, they are laterally compressed and have this particular snout with a well-pronounced mouth and fairly large eyes. They are also territorial and some species live in pairs.
They are a little more difficult to see than butterflyfish, because they are in smaller numbers; but both snorkeling and diving you can spot them because they live at low depths.
Angelfish have almost hypnotic colors with stripes, spots and squiggles that tend to blend in with the surrounding environment making it difficult to define their shape!
"Don't be hypnotized by Friendly Fins!"
The parrot fish
And here are the loudest fish in the coral reef (or rather, theirs is almost the only noise we can perceive). Parrot fish owe their name both to the bright coloration of the male specimens and to their particular teeth that perfectly resemble a parrot's beak!
What do these cute fish do with a beak? They grind up dead coral and give back "new" sand, this particular diet allows the coral reef to regenerate and put calcium carbonate back into the cycle, thanks to these tireless nibblers!
How do we recognize them? They are fish of various sizes up to about 40 cm for the largest specimens, they are a bit stocky and what immediately catches the eye is their way of swimming: they do not use their tail but the two pectoral fins that give them a rather funny and somewhat frenetic movement.
"Once you have spotted Friendly Fins, stop and observe them for a moment: they are among the busiest and most agitated fish on the reef, they never stay still and are always ready to nibble on something!"
Clown fish
The reef celebrity doesn't need any introduction but it's right to mention it in our little guide: The clownfish is present in the Red Sea with some of its 28 species, very easy to spot and recognize because it constantly lives inside its anemone. An anemone is an animal attached to the bottom thanks to a sturdy foot, which takes on wonderful and various colors (pink, blue, red, white, orange ...). In addition to the foot, we meet this large crown of more or less long tentacles that hosts our friend. This fish is very small, the female usually reaches a maximum of 15 cm, but it has the courage of a lion and defends its anemone like a brave man, you will notice it immediately if you are too close to its home, it will not think twice about attacking you!
Now it seems like the invincible Hulk but let's remember that it is a small fish with an immense fear of us who are considerably bigger, if we want to get close for a few moments it is fine but let's not scare it too much because it is a considerable stress for it. Clownfish with anemones are found at depths of up to 30-40 m, so we can all easily see them and admire their beauty both during snorkeling and diving.
Cleaner fish
Cleaner fish are among the busiest little fish on the reef, they are the ones who worry about removing parasites, dead skin, algae and fungi from other fish, sharks, turtles, even us if necessary! They often gather in particular places called “Cleaning stations” where animals that need cleaning are stationed and then they spring into action.
We notice them because they are slender and with quite bright colors, some of electric blue, they are small in size because they have to easily insinuate themselves inside mouths and gill covers! So if we see a small fearless fish inside a moray eel’s mouth, well he is a cleaner fish!
We also recognize them because the fish that is being cleaned often takes on a relaxed and catatonic appearance while the little fish wanders around him.
"Keep your eyes peeled, Friendly Fins!"
The triggerfish
They are very numerous in the coral reef and of many species, all very colorful and of various sizes; these fish are already present in a few centimeters of water with the Picasso triggerfish. They are called this because they have a particular fin, set back from the snout, which has 3 spiny rays of which the first is very robust and erectile equipped with a sort of safety block, used for defense. In addition to this peculiar characteristic, they are recognizable by their way of swimming: they move the dorsal fin and the anal fin alternately, assuming a "dancing and fluttering" swimming. We also meet them at every depth, some are solitary, others create large schools like the blue triggerfish that tends to prefer blue to the reef. The only triggerfish that needs some warning is the titan triggerfish. The name already indicates a fairly large and fat fish about 50 cm long with an orange, yellowish and greenish color, with scary teeth! This friendly fish is among the most aggressive of the reef and it is impossible not to notice it because it is either swimming frantically or is upside down breaking corals with its mouth. Fortunately it is aggressive only in the mating and reproduction period precisely because it has a nest with eggs to protect. This nest is circular, made of dead coral in which the eggs are placed by the female, later it will be the male's job to watch over them and oxygenate them until they hatch. So far everything is normal, except that in the head of the titan the nest is not circumscribed but is a cone with the tip towards the eggs and the end towards the surface, that is, the entire column of water included in there is its nest and woe betide anyone who passes through it. With those sharp teeth it is able to break fins and bite calves without thinking too much! So Friendly Fins, if we see a titan fish in any case we take a wide turn and if we were to notice the nest, we take an even wider turn! You can tell he has a nest because he spends all his time with his head down blowing on his eggs, so let's not disturb him!
Surgeonfish
Another group of fish present in the Red Sea coral reef are the surgeonfish. They are also present with numerous species and different sizes from a few cm to the unicorn surgeonfish that are almost 40 cm large. They are very easy to recognize because they have something that no other fish has: the scalpel!
I'm not kidding Friendly Fins, if they are called surgeonfish there must be a reason and in fact they have this very sharp and cutting bone structure between the tail and the rest of the body, it is found on both sides of the body and can also be double.
This scalpel is used only for defense! No surgeonfish wants to slice us to pieces, but I recommend the watchword is always never bother them. Some accidents happen with the unicorn surgeonfish of Vlaming that loves the bubbles of the regulator and therefore tends to approach the divers who, however, annoyed (I don't know why) tend to chase it away with their hands and it defends itself using its scalpel.
"End of a short sad story."
The smaller and more colorful surgeonfish tend to stay at shallow depths and always among corals so they will be easily recognizable by all of us, the larger ones instead, like the unicorn surgeonfish, prefer to stay "a little more in the blue" creating even large schools.
The moray eels
Among the least loved fish instead we have moray eels, perhaps their not very friendly appearance and their serpentine shape do not arouse much sympathy but let's also talk about them for a moment to dispel some myths.
First of all, moray eels are easy to recognize precisely because of their shape and their well-tapered snout with a beautiful mouth full of sharp and pointed teeth. In the Red Sea there are giant moray eels that can have a brown but also greenish color, they are really large, reaching up to two meters in length. They always live inside ravines and cavities of the reef, very difficult to see them around during the day. Like dogs, even the smallest moray eels are the most terrifying while the largest are the most peaceful.
The bite of a moray eel is painful and causes us infections that are also dangerous if not treated. Therefore I recommend that we treat all animals with respect.
Finally, the moray eel itself would never be wrong to attack us, even if when we look at it it opens and closes its mouth, in reality it is not preparing for a lethal bite but is simply breathing! So no fear, it is its way of life, let's say goodbye and move on!
"As you may have understood from this Friendly Fins overview, the coral reef must be observed calmly and even more calmly the small details must be observed. Give yourself time to enter this extraordinary parallel world."
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