Dogtooth Tuna

Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC

Dogtooth tuna are the apex predator of Two Mile Reef's open-water margins, patrolling the drop-offs with the slow, powerful sweeps of large pelagics built for sustained pursuit. They hunt the massive fusilier schools that aggregate along the reef crest, accelerating from blue water to coral in explosive bursts that scatter fish in every direction and create the reef's most dramatic predator-prey spectacle. Their large size — regularly exceeding 100 kilograms — and willingness to cruise close to divers on the reef edge make them one of the most reliably impressive encounters at Bazaruto.