Photo © Ian Scott
Reef Predators
Predators on the reef come in many shapes and sizes. Sharks are the iconic reef predator and species that visit the reef include tiger sharks, black-tipped reef sharks, and white-tipped reef sharks.
The tiger shark occupies the top of the reef food chain and is an imposing figure, reaching over a tonne in weight and up to five meters in length. The tiger shark is a scavenger and will consume almost anything that lives on the reef including fish, seals, birds, smaller sharks, squid and turtles. It hunts alone in the darkness of the night sea.
Black- and white- tipped sharks are smaller and therefore take smaller prey than tiger sharks. The feed on small fishes at the edges of reef and in shallow waters.
Not all sharks that inhabit the Great Barrier Reef are top carnivores. Whale sharks, the largest of all fish in the sea, reach 15 meters in length and grow to weights up to 15 tonnes. But their diet consists of plankton, crustaceans and small fish.
Sharks are not the only predators of the reef though. Manta rays, close relatives of sharks, filter water through their mouth and feed on copepods, tiny fish, lobster, and octopus. Flatworms crawl over coral, feeding on tiny worms and other small animals as they go. Sea slugs consume sponges. Large fish, such as the potato cod, feed on smaller fish. Predators are diverse and widespread throughout the Great Barrier Reef.
Sources
For a list of sources used in the creation of this visual guide, please see the Recommended Reading page.