Meet the tiny fish that have a huge effect on coral reef ecosystems

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How can coral reefs sustain diverse ecosystems when they're surrounded by low-nutrient waters? Now scientists think they’ve found the answer — and it’s been hiding in plain sight.

“They’re really like high-octane fuel for larger fish,” said study leaderHe likened them to sushi served on a conveyor belt in Japanese restaurants: “Almost as soon as that plate is put on the conveyor belt, it gets eaten.”

Yet the nutrients needed to maintain this abundance of life seemed to be lacking. Scientists even have a name for this conundrum: Darwin’s paradox. But Brandl and his colleagues make a strong case that high turnover of tiny fish is an important part of the story, said“The reefs are not made possible solely because of these tiny fish, but they are more important than we thought,” McCauley said.

Despite their colorful appearance, the fish are good at blending in with their backgrounds . Many try to hide in a reef’s nooks and crannies, but that works for only so long. Up to 70% of them are eaten every week, and most species live no longer than several months. In a word: larvae.The scientists reviewed previously published data and calculated that about two-thirds of the larvae living“If they didn’t have this big reservoir of new recruits of larvae that could replenish each adult that gets eaten on the reef, their populations would take a nose dive immediately,” Brandl said.

 

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