Napoleon Wrasse

Photo: David Roche · CC BY-NC

Humphead or Napoleon wrasse are among the largest reef fish in the ocean, reaching 2 metres and 180 kilograms, and a small resident population inhabits the outer reef at Passikudah — an increasingly rare encounter on any Indo-Pacific reef given the species' IUCN Endangered status from decades of live fish trade targeting. They feed on hard-shelled prey including sea urchins, starfish, and even the crown-of-thorns starfish that other predators avoid, making them an important regulatory species for reef health. Their large home ranges, long lives, and low reproductive rates make protection of individual reef territories critical to their survival.