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What Kind of Animals Live in Fringing Reefs?

There are many different kinds of coral reefs. They are named and classified by how and where they form. A fringing reef is similar to a barrier reef and can typically be found just offshore of the mainland or continental islands. The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Australia, is composed mostly of fringing reefs. The fringing coral reef is home to a wide variety of animal life.

Fish
- A shark is a cartilaginous fish.
  
  The fish of the fringing reefs are the most notable just by their bright colors and sheer numbers. Amateur snorkelers and professional divers alike are drawn to the coral reefs of all kinds because of the vast fish population. Science is still trying to explain this amazing amount of diversity. There are two main types, fish with bones and fish with cartilage.
Marine Mammals
- A pair of manatees swimming underwater.
  
  Thirty species of whales, dolphins and porpoises inhabit or travel through the Great Barrier Reef every year. Fringing reefs worldwide are temporary homes to certain marine mammals like minke and humpback whales as they migrate to breeding or feeding grounds. Dugongs and manatees are common in fringing reefs in the Caribbean and the Indo-Pacific fringing reefs and their adjacent coral lagoons.
Invertebrates
- A starfish is a type of echinoderm.
  
  Invertebrates make up the largest group of animals in the fringing reef. These animals are the main builders of the coral reefs and are the most integral parts of its ecosystem. This vast group consists of six smaller categories, which are corals, sponges, echinoderms, mollusks, crustaceans and polychaetes. Corals are most ubiquitous and important as they are the animals that make up the structural formations of all coral reefs. Echinoderms include animals that are unique in body and form like starfish and sea anemones.
Reptiles
- A Hawksbill sea turtle.
  
  Turtles and snakes are two of the reptiles that make the fringing reef their home. There are a few species of highly venomous sea snakes living in fringing reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. These are not fish, as they do need to breathe air, but can remain underwater for two hours. Three of the the world's seven species of sea turtles make their homes in fringing coral reefs. Six of these are regular visitors to the Great Barrier Reef.

Animals & Science