Hawksbill Sea Turtle - Eretmochelys imbricata - Reef Fish Resting on its Shell

A Hawksbill Sea Turtle rests on the reef while two small fish settle on its patterned carapace.

The Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) has a streamlined body protected by an oval to slightly heart-shaped carapace and powerful paddle-like flippers. Its narrow head ends in a distinctive pointed, hooked beak that allows it to reach food hidden within cracks and crevices of coral and rocky reefs. The carapace is typically patterned in amber, brown, yellow and darker shades, with overlapping scutes that give it a characteristic tiled appearance. Hawksbills inhabit tropical and subtropical coastal waters, particularly coral reefs, lagoons and rocky habitats, and feed mainly on sponges as well as other marine invertebrates and algae. Adults commonly reach around 60–90 centimetres in shell length. In this photograph, two small reef fish are resting on the turtle’s carapace as it lies among the coral rubble.