76 Life on a Coral Reef

Anyone who enjoys watching colorful reef fish in an aquarium would really get a thrill of the warm, shallow, brightly colored tropical fish sold in pet stores. Reefs are formed in many of the world’s low seas such as the northeast coast of Australia where the Great Barrier Reef is situated. Reefs such as this one provide homes for countless animals and plants, mollusks, and crustaceans that in turn feed a host of fishes.

A swimmer or diver among the coral will easily spot the striking black-and- yellow pattern of the black angelfish and the many bright colors—yellow, red, and green, and blue—swarm around the parrot fish. Smaller fish such as the blueheads, yellow grunts, and barracuda that feed on them swim fantastic, too. Shapes of the coral—torn coral head of a predatory moray eel can be seen peering from a crack. The thin, topedo-like shape coasting slowly above the reef signals the presence of that solitary hunter, the barracuda. Entire schools of the predatory gray snapper patrol the borders of the reef, looking for fish, crabs, or shrimp to add to their diet. The colorful and graceful fish inhabiting the coral reef include a wide range of sizes and types, from the delicate beauty of the little seaweed grazers to the deadly streamlined shapes of the killers.

76 珊瑚礁上的生命

任何喜欢在水族馆里观赏色彩斑斓的礁鱼的人，看到宠物店售卖的温暖浅海区域的色彩鲜艳的热带鱼，都会感到兴奋。珊瑚礁形成于世界上许多低海域，比如澳大利亚东北海岸的大堡礁所在地。像这样的珊瑚礁为无数动物和植物、软体动物和甲壳类动物提供了栖息地，而这些生物又反过来养活了大量鱼类。

在珊瑚丛中的游泳者或潜水员很容易发现黑神仙鱼醒目的黑黄斑纹，以及许多鲜艳的颜色——黄色、红色、绿色和蓝色——围绕着鹦嘴鱼游动。蓝头鱼、黄 grunt 鱼和梭鱼等较小的鱼类也游动得十分奇妙。珊瑚的形状——被撕碎的珊瑚头里，可能会看到一条掠食性海鳗从裂缝中探出头来。在礁上方缓慢滑行的细长鱼雷状身形，预示着独居猎手梭鱼的存在。整群掠食性灰笛鲷在礁的边缘巡逻，寻找鱼类、螃蟹或虾类来补充它们的食物。栖息在珊瑚礁上的色彩斑斓、姿态优雅的鱼类大小和种类繁多，从精致美丽的小型海藻食草鱼，到致命的流线型杀手鱼。