If the amazing video above of Tuamotu isn’t reason enough to make you wanna visit the French Polynesia, then perhaps the diversity of fish and island atolls will. The French Polynesia is made of six major island groups, with Tahiti in the Society islands being the most populated. The other five being Marquesas, Tuamotu, Gambier, Austral and Bass islands.

While popular with divers and holiday goers, the French Polynesia also holds many unique and rare species of fish such as Chaetodon smithi, Pseudanthias regalis, Pseudanthias privitera, Coris marquesensis, Coris hewetti and other species. Since most of these fishes are not regularly collected for food or the aquarium trade, the numbers in the wild are healthy and booming. That said however, the limited range of some of these species have put them on the vulnerable list.

Unique species found in the French Polynesia. A,B: Pseudanthias regalis (Marquesas) C: Coris hewetti (Marquesas) D,E: Centropyge loricula (Marquesas) F: Coris marquesensis (Marquesas) G: Pseudojuloides atavai (Society is.) H,I: Chaetodon smithi (Bass, Rapa, Pitcairn). Picture credits - A: Rudie Kuiter's Basslets & Hamlets, B: Luiz Rocha, C,E,F: John P Hoover, D: Robert Fenner, G: Yukata niino, H: Tahiti presse and I: John Randall.