It has been the subject of research to test what might happen to marine life by the year 2100, due to predicted carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

It appears to prefer to eat small benthic sergestid crustaceans rather than the planktonic larvae to be found higher in the water column.

[16] However, seasonal or sampling effects may play a role in defining the diet, since in certain years, certain sites appear to suggest that O. cyanosoma is actually eating significant amounts of planktonic copepods and crustacean larvae.

This is likely to be a more important reason for the sexual dimorphism shown by the male's wider gape and more protruding lower jaw, than is its prey specificity.

[20] Often stationary and visible low on the reef during the day time, aggregations of O. cyanosoma add to the captivating underwater pallette enjoyed by recreational Scuba divers,[21] whose presence also contributes significantly to local economies in often poorer tropical countries.

[22] Export of live specimens contributes to the enjoyment of marine aquarium hobbyists,[23] which if managed appropriately, can also benefit local, often poorer, communities.

[24] O. cyanosoma has been used as a laboratory experimental animal to test what might happen to marine life by the year 2100, given predicted atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide.

[25] Reef fish populations in higher (cooler) latitudes appear to have more capacity to cope with rising temperatures and acidification than those nearer the equator.