Napoleon Wrasse

Photo: David Roche · CC BY-NC

A large resident Napoleon wrasse has patrolled the Manta Scramble ridge for over a decade and is well known to local operators, approaching divers with apparent curiosity before moving on to feed on hard-shelled invertebrates. Napoleon wrasse are listed as Endangered globally due to heavy fishing pressure from the live reef food fish trade, making protected sites like Ishigaki critical refugia for the species. Their large size — individuals can exceed 1.5 metres and 190 kilograms — requires decades of growth, so the presence of old adults indicates long-term habitat stability.