The incredible biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef means visitors have the chance to swim with some truly amazing creatures. These top 8 living, breathing icons of the Great Barrier Reef are featured for their unique attributes and importance to the Reef. Click through for full creature features! 

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1. Giant Clam

A beautiful sight to behold, the giant clam, which enjoys the warm waters surrounding the Great Barrier Reef, is the largest living bivalve mollusc with an average lifespan of around 100 years. They can weigh up to 200kg.

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2. Manta Ray

Unlike the stingray, these gentle giants don’t contain a barb. The largely solitary manta ray is known to travel large distances, scouring the ocean for food such as plankton and fish larvae.


#3. Maori Wrasse

The largest member of the family Labridae, this wrasse reaches up to six feet long (male), and up to three feet (female). Its unusual appearance consists of thick, fleshy lips, and a rather protruding lump that appears above its eyes. It is renowned for its passive and friendly personality. 


#4. Sharks

A great variety of sharks call the Great Barrier Reef home, ranging from small, bottom-dwelling sharks, like wobbegongs, to larger types, like tiger, hammerhead and even the enourmous whale shark. If you're diving the reef, you're most likely to see the the blacktip, whitetip and grey reef shark.


#5. Clownfish

Clownfish form an incredible symbiotic relationship with the sea anemone they live in. The clownfish use their bright colouring to lure fish into the anemone, which are then killed by the anemone’s poison and eaten, with the scraps going to the clownfish. these iconic fish are all born male, but can change its gender to female. 


#6. Turtles

The oldest known sea turtle fossil is at least 120 million years old, making sea turtles some of the oldest creatures on the planet. That means they shared the planet with dinosaurs which became extinct around 65 million years ago. Despite this incredible longevity, only around one in every thousand hatchlings will make it to adulthood.

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#7. Potato Cod

The Potato Cod is a native Australian fish and belongs to the Grouper family. Groupers are among the largest of all bony fish and boast equally big mouths. The Potato Cod’s cousin, the Queensland Grouper, or giant grouper, is the largest bony fish found on the Great Barrier Reef, (the ‘Reef’) known to grow to more than 2m long and weigh up to 400kg. The Potato Cod usually weighs in at less than 100kg.

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#8. Whales

During Australia’s winter and spring, from June to November, up to 10,000 whales migrate north from Antarctica’s colder waters to the warm shallows of the Great Barrier Reef (the ‘Reef’) to breed and give birth. Though many species make this migration, humpback whales and dwarf minke whales are the ones you’re most likely to see on the Reef. 

Ways to Help

Many of these beautiful species are sadly endangered. If you wish to contribute to research and work being done on the ground, donate or learn more in our Reef Insider.