Commercial fisheries have been driving the Napoleon fish towards extinction. Both adults and juveniles are targeted by the live reef food fish trade and are caught intensively. Exploitation is particularly heavy in Southeast Asia. Due to their late sexual maturity and sex-changing nature, Napoleon fish are very vulnerable to overfishing. Although prohibited in many countries, cyanide is still used to catch Napoleon fish and is the main cause for the death of corals and the destruction of the habitat of these fish. The fish’s population has been reduced by more than 50% over about 3 decades.
