Abstract: Coral reefs are among the biodiversity-richest marine ecosystems. Over the last several decades, global coral reefs are continuously decreasing, arousing widespread concern. Coral reef fish is an important ecological group with great economic and ecological values. Due to the joint disturbance of climate change and human activities, the diversity, trophic levels and productivity of coral reef fish have declined significantly. There are more and more concerns on how to protect coral reef fish resources and promote stability and sustainability of their ecological and economic functions. Here, we summarized the natural and anthropogenic threats to reef fish diversity and proposed methods for the scientific conservation and management of reef fish. Currently, the greatest threats to coral reef fish are overfishing and destructive fishing practices, while future threats would be large-scale coral bleaching caused by ocean acidification and global warming. Five measures should be implemented to restore reef fish diversity: (i) reducing and strictly controlling fishing intensity; (ii) strengthening the protection of herbivorous fish on coral reefs; (iii) improving dynamic monitoring of coral reefs; (iv) expanding coral reef ecological restoration; and (v) establishing coral reef protection areas.

Key words: coral reef fish, biodiversity, climate change, coral bleaching, fisheries management.