Moorish Idol

Photo: David R · CC BY-NC

Moorish idols drift in pairs through the coral-encrusted superstructure of the Manko Maru, picking at sponges and encrusting organisms with their long tubular snouts. Their bold black, white, and yellow banding makes them instantly recognisable even in the dappled light filtering through the growth on the hull. They are among the most photogenic species on the wreck and reliably present at every depth level from the shallowest railing to the deepest section of the hull.