Coral-eating fish faeces may act as ‘probiotics’ for reefs, says new study

Corallivorous fish were regarded as harmful to coral but new research suggests their poo could be keeping reefs healthy

The faeces of coral-eating fish may actually act as ‘probiotics’ for reefs, according to a new study.

Previously it was thought that corallivore – fish like pufferfish, parrotfish and butterfly fish which eat coral – weakened marine surfaces. But new research suggests that by eating some parts of the coral and then pooing in different areas of the reef, they are part of a cycle which redistributes beneficial microbes that can help coral thrive.