Tiny Reef Fish Getting Schooled

liza — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:13:18 +0000

Tropical reefs are known to be teeming with biological diversity and density, which can make life difficult for a little fish trying to make it. Add in competition from mom and dad and nowhere to hide from predators, and you’ve got tough times for goldspot goby juveniles, which are about the size of a dime. In this episode of Field Talk, Jameal Samhouri of NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center takes us on an undersea trip to the Bahamian coral reefs where the tiny fish make their home. He explains how competition among juvenile and adult fish can lead to selective mortality in youngsters – but when he manipulated reefs to provide more shelter, the small fry fared much better. Read more in his paper in the April issue of Ecology.

Biological Diversity – Field Talk

Tiny Reef Fish Getting Schooled