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“Too many to count”

This large school of Moorish idols mix in the light current off the reef wall as a large ball, relying on the collective experience that a large mass of many will intimidate predators and confuse them as to which fish to target as a meal. In this instance, the shoal phenomenon works so well it’s almost as if there are “too many to count” and their regal patterns break up their outline making it very difficult to discern where one fish
starts and another ends.

Moorish idol - Zanclus cornutus

Moorish idols are strikingly beautiful. They have thick black and white vertical stripes and finer yellow colorations on their face and rears. Most notable are the elongated white dorsal fins, which extend far beyond their tails. Although very similar in appearance to some species of butterflyfish, the Moorish idol can be easily distinguished by its black, triangular anal fin. Moorish idols hunt small invertebrates along coral and rocky reefs using their pronounced snouts. They also feed on sponges and coral polyps. After hatching, Moorish idols have a comparatively long larval stage during which the young fish live in the open ocean. This long period of time allows the larvae to spread widely. This makes the Moorish idol quite unusual, as it has almost no geographic variations in its colouring. Moorish idols got their name from the Moors, an ancient African civilization who believed this fish was a source of happiness.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 10.5mm F2.8 Fisheye, F10 @ 1/100 sec, ISO 200, Sea & Sea.
Taken on snorkel at Mnemba Island off Zanzibar, Tanzania
Photograph by Andrew Woodburn