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

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

The faeces of coral-eating fish may act as probiotics" for reefs, according to a study.

Previously it was thought that corallivore - fish such as pufferfish, parrotfish and butterfly fish that 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 that redistributes beneficial microbes that can help coral thrive.