Sex in the Reef

In late November and December, amazing aggregations of reef animals come together in the Great Barrier Reef for mating. If you're into sex on the reef then this is the time! The unique event of coral spawning happens 3 days after the full moon in November. This is also the time when hundreds of large triggerfish massing to build nests, mate and lay and protect their eggs. There are aggregations of thousands of surgeonfish, parrotfish, damsels, wrasse and other species coming together in the reef shallows to spawn. These fish perform amazing dance rituals as they attract the females to then spiral towards the surface and release their eggs and sperm together. In the late afternoon many of the invertebrate animals get into the act, with starfish and sea cucumbers climbing to high points of the reef and spawning to the surface. Giant clams set off a chain reaction to the other giant clams on the reef in a domino-like clam-spawning event. Cuttlefish are also mating and laying eggs at this time.