Over the last decade, coral reefs have experienced multiple mass bleaching events, at both a local and global scale. The loss of coral following these events has been extensively documented, with a subsequent decline of reef fishes reported by several studies. However, these findings contrast with literature that highlight the stability of fish populations following bleaching events. Here we aim to assess the trend of reef fish populations, with a focus on fishes that are more strongly associated with coral for food or habitat. Using a large database, we categorise over 1200 species of fishes to three categories of coral-association: non-associated, moderate, and strong. We then assess the abundance and species richness of each of these categories over the last decade, looking at individual reef systems up to a global scale. Our results suggest that reef fishes exhibit fluctuations with time, which are largely decoupled from bleaching events. These findings further highlight the inherent complexities of reef fish demographics, and caution against generalising relationships from specific reefs onto broader scales.