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Related to the gobies are the little dragonets. These are found in weed area and sea grass beds as well as the reef itself. Perhaps the most spectacular is the mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendens), with a pattern that could have come off a bright paisley silk tie.

Surgeonfish. The surgeon-fishes and tangs (family Acanthuridae) are a particularly important group of herbivores. They are sometimes seen in singly, in shallow Water over coral flats. Since single grazei are often chased by damselfishes protecting their territories, surgeonfishes sometimes form large feeding aggregations.

Despite their apparently destructive feeding habits, herbivorous fish are of immense value to the coral reef community, By breaking clown hard-to-digest plant material they make the nutrients in it available to other animals. Furthermore, by limiting the growth of plants they may actually enhance that of corals. Without grazing, the plants would grow to such an extent that they would soon cover the reel making new coral settlement virtually impossible.