La Cité de la Mer

It lives at shallow depth. It is voracious and does not hesitate to strip fishermen’s hooks. Reproduction takes place from March to May. The male delimits a territory with a natural crevice. Several females deposit sticky eggs. The male will watch the eggs until they hatch.

The palette surgeonfish sports a pair of venomous, erectable scalpel spines at the base of its tail, used for self-defense against predators. It primarily dwells in small groups within coastal reefs. Its electric blue color inspired the character of Dory in "Finding Nemo" and "Finding Dory".

The juveniles of this species have very long fins. They often let themselves drift with the currents in all positions, so they look like dead leaves. Adults sometimes gather in huge schools.

At night, the yellowbanded sweetlips hunt benthic invertebrates in sandbanks and seagrass beds. During the day, they rest in the crevices and recesses of the reefs. This tropical species, which can grow over 70 cm, is targeted by fishermen in many Pacific Ocean islands.

Industrial fishing has endangered spawning stocks of the species. Its flesh is sometimes used to make "coley" sticks (Fish sticks). It has been attempted to use the fish for pisciculture. But because of the low profitability, farming the fish was abandoned.

The Emperor Angelfish is found from the Red Sea to the Great Barrier Reef. Juveniles hide under reef overhangs or in holes in outer lagoons, while adults prefer caves in coral-rich areas. These fish feed on sponges and form pairs for reproduction.

The peach fairy basslet is found from the Red Sea to the Great Barrier Reef. Juveniles hide under reef overhangs or in holes in outer lagoons, while adults prefer caves in coral-rich areas. These fish feed on sponges and form pairs for reproduction.

This fish lives near diadem-urchins. At the slightest danger, it takes refuge between the long spines of sea urchins. The male guards the eggs in the mouth until they hatch. It is threatened in the wild because of fishing for the aquarium trade. This species breeds in captivity.

This dartfish is easily recognizable by its two-tone blue and black body. Like its counterparts, adults live in pairs in burrows they dig in the substrate.

The dark-banded fusilier is recognizable by its vibrant colors, with a pale pink to red underside and a green-blue upper part. This diurnal fish forms large schools in the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Its primary diet consists mainly of plankton.

This moray is narrower than most other species. Over time, the male becomes a female (protandrous hermaphroditism). This sex change is accompanied by a color change. This moray adapts easily to life in the aquarium.

This squirrelfish is recognizable by its fine horizontal white stripes with silvery highlights on a predominantly red body. Like its counterparts, it is a nocturnal, exclusively carnivorous fish. It particularly preys on mollusks and small crustaceans living among the rocks.

The eye of this fish is masked by a black band that disrupts the visual perception of it body by predators. It has venomous spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins. It is easy to maintain in captivity but they need hiding places for shelter.

By day, these fish form a small group and remain free from branched corals. At night, the group dislocates and specimens go down near the bottom for food. During the incubation period, the eggs are kept in the mouth of the male. The latter fasts until they hatch.

The sailfin snapper frequents sandy bottoms in the immediate vicinity of coral reefs. This usually solitary fish preys on other fish, crustaceans, and various mollusk species. It is a tropical fish occasionally targeted by fishermen.

The picturesque dragonet is easily recognized by its brown ocellated spots. Still poorly documented, this fish is a common inhabitant of the coral reefs of Indonesian and Philippine seas. Like its counterparts, these fish form pairs and feed on microcrustaceans that they pick from the substrate.

The skin of this species secretes a toxic mucus for predators and parasites. This fish is territorial and fights involving males are common. To lay eggs, both partners embrace and rise to the surface to release their reproductive cells that will be mixed by sea currents.

The sixbar wrasse frequents shallow lagoons and offshore coral reefs. It lives in small, scattered groups and spends its days hunting small fish and foraminifera, tiny single-celled organisms. Like other wrasses, this fish changes color throughout its growth.

The moon wrasse inhabits the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. This species is sometimes referred to as the moon wrasse due to the shape and yellow color of their caudal fin. This wrasse primarily feeds on small invertebrates residing in the rocks and fish eggs.

The Indian sail-fin surgeonfish is a tropical fish native to the reefs of the Indo-Pacific. This fish has very large dorsal and anal fins, which it can use to double its size. It uses these features to impress its counterparts during courtship.

The twotone tang, like its counterparts, possesses scalpels at the base of the caudal fin. In times of danger, it can extend two small blades for protection against predators. Adults of these fish typically live in groups of around twenty individuals. They gather in large schools to spawn during the breeding season. They are exclusively herbivorous and graze on algae in coral-rich areas.

These surgeonfish are exclusively herbivorous, feeding on leafy algae near the reefs. The juveniles live alone among rocks or corals at shallow depths.