Coral reef fish face escalating welfare threats from coral bleaching, cyanide fishing, and the marine aquarium trade as their habitat deteriorates globally.
Coral reef fish welfare involves both direct and indirect threats. Cyanide fishing causes acute organ damage and high mortality in fish that appear to survive capture. The stress of collection, transport, and captivity causes significant mortality at each stage of the aquarium trade supply chain, meaning most wild-caught reef fish die within a year. Habitat loss from coral bleaching eliminates the specific territories that individual fish know and depend on, forcing displacement into unfamiliar areas where survival is lower. The emotional complexity of reef fish, including long-term pair bonds and cooperative cleaning relationships, gives added weight to welfare concerns.