Researchers from Simon Fraser University have discovered how coral reefs support such an abundance and diversity of life.
Researchers from Simon Fraser University have discovered how coral reefs support such an abundance and diversity of life. Banting Postdoctoral Fellow Simon Brandl and a team of international researchers revealed that tiny fish species around the world fuel life on coral reefs.
The research, published in Science, examines how commonly overlooked ‘cryptobenthic’ fishes—tiny, bottom-dwelling creatures—are a bountiful food source for larger fishes.
“These fish are like candy,” says Brandl. “They are tiny, colorful bundles of energy that get eaten almost immediately by any coral reef organism that can bite, grab or slurp them up.
“In fact, the vast majority of tiny fish on reefs are eaten within the first few weeks of their existence.”
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Image via Simon Fraser University.
