The Red Sea is important for the movement of goods, especially oil, but it is also important for its rich and diverse marine life. The reefs, which are dotted along the shallow shelves that fringe the sea, are the most beautiful in the world and are a magnet for divers. The mangroves along the shores are breeding grounds for many commercially important species of fish and crustaceans and the deep waters are home to larger fish and marine mammals. Sea grass beds provide food for the Green Turtle and the Dugongs, while plankton is a major source of food for many species of fish and other creatures.

There are over 1300 species of fish, more than a thousand species of mollusks, 200 corals, more than 250 bristle worms and so on, all in this small area. Most of the most interesting, beautiful and accessible of the creatures that live in the Red Sea are to be found on the coral reefs.

2 of 17 Halavi Guitarfish, Rhinobatus halavi

Like the sharks, the Guitarfish has a cartilaginous skeleton. This denizen of sandy slopes and seagrass beds is common in the northern Red Sea. The ovoviviparous (eggs are hatched within the body) females give birth to up to ten young between May and October. Its food principally consists of crustaceans.