Living Reef

Head over to our Living Reef exhibit to discover some of the species that live among our beautiful coral habitat.

Watch colourful species of fish dart in and out of their hiding places, and take in the textures of the different corals!

Known as 'rainforests of the sea', reefs provide a home to more species than any other habitat in our ocean, acting as nurseries and a shelter. Their striking colours are caused by zooxanthellae, a photosynthetic algae which lives in the tissue of the coral polyps. This algae provides up to 90% of all the nutrients necessary for corals to grow!

They are a threatened habitat and are rapidly declining due to factors such as overfishing and climate change.

Next Habitat

Endless Ocean

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Threadfin butterflyfish

Chaetodon auriga

Named after the thread-like extension of their dorsal fin, this species can grow up to 23cm in length and feed on coral polyps, algae, plankton and small invertebrates. They can usually be found on outer reefs where they have both crevices to hide in and open areas to swim.

Bubble coral

Plerogyra sinuosa

Found in shallow Indo-Pacific reef environments, this species is named after its bubble shapes, which increase their surface area according to the amount of light available. They are larger during the day, but smaller during the night, when tentacles reach out to capture food.

Coral wreckfish

Pseudanthias squamipinnis

Largely active during the day, this colourful species often zip in and out of the rocks to feed on zooplankton. They can grow up to 15cm in length and are classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Smooth cauliflower coral

Stylophora pistillata

Found widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific region, this reef-building species favours exposed habitats with strong water movement. It provides a home to a variety of marine species.

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