Animals
Coral reefs are home to millions of species. Hidden beneath the ocean waters, coral reefs teem with life. Fish, corals, lobsters, clams, seahorses, sponges, and sea turtles are only a few of the thousands of creatures that rely on reefs for their survival.
The variety of species living on coral reefs is greater than almost anywhere else in the world. Coral reef ecosystems are like bustling cities, with buildings made of coral and thousands of marine inhabitants coming and going, interacting with one another, carrying out their business. In this sense, coral reefs are the sea's metropolises. Coral reefs provide shelter for nearly one quarter of all known marine species. And over the last 240 million years, reefs have evolved into one of the largest and most complex ecosystems on the planet. The reefs are home to more than 4,000 species of fish, 700 species of coral, and thousands of other plant and animal life. Scientists estimate that, in total, more than one million species of plants and animals are associated with the coral reef ecosystem.
Source: Coral Reef Alliance