【明報專訊】Its face is iconic. Very thick lips, big hump on the forehead. Wriggly patterns on the face like warrior tattoos. Two sharp black lines run from behind its eyes, adding to its noble countenance. The male is brilliant blue, and the female is bright reddish-orange. It is the magnificent Napoleon fish living among tropical coral reefs (珊瑚礁) !

Called So Mei (蘇眉) in Cantonese, the Napoleon fish is, sadly, better known in Hong Kong as an expensive seafood delicacy. So let's learn a little bit more about this incredibly beautiful fish and the reasons why we should not treat them as seafood anymore.

Keeping the balance

The Napoleon fish is one of the largest fish living among the coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. A fully mature Napoleon fish can reach up to 2.3 metres in length and weigh over 190 kg. Imagine the number of years it takes to grow to this size! Found in steep outer reef slopes, channel slopes and lagoon reefs, it is carnivorous (肉食性的) and feeds on animals such as reef fish, sea snails, sea urchins (海膽) and crabs.

One of the most remarkable things about its diet is that the Napoleon fish is a predator of toxic animals, such as crown-of-thorns sea stars (棘冠海星). In particular, crown-of-thorns sea stars prey on (捕食) corals. So by eating them, Napoleon fish keep their population in balance and help coral reefs stay healthy.

An uncommon population

Napoleon fish breed slowly, and in an unusual way. It takes five to seven years for a Napoleon fish to reach sexual maturity. Most Napoleon fish are born as females. Usually, there is only one "super male" in a group and it mates with the females. This "super male" is larger than all the other males in the group and has distinct colours and patterns on its skin. When a super male dies, a large female from the same group will change sex and become a super male! Amazing, is it not?

A good long life

Napoleon fish cannot be easily bred and cultured in artificial settings. If their coral reefs habitat is lost, they disappear with it. Right now, coral reefs are being destroyed because of irresponsible fishing techniques such as the use of cyanide (山埃) and explosives. Napoleon fish are also overfished because of its value as luxury seafood. It is listed in Appendix II in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which means that its international trade is strictly regulated to protect it from extinction. However, it is still being traded and fished illegally.

Over the past 30 years, the population of Napoleon fish has already reduced by half! It is now listed as "Endangered" in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. We must stop consuming Napoleon fish. It does not belong on dining tables, but rather, around the enchanting (迷人的) coral reefs in the oceans.

■Glossary

countenance (n) 面容

delicacy (n) 佳餚

distinct (adj) 清晰的

artificial (adj) 人工的

[Smarties' Power English 第262期]