It is not currently known if, or to what extent, many small fishes rely on corals for food

Bleached corals, such as this Acropora table, may ultimately die if subject to excessive feeding by coral-feeding fishes.

The chevron butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifascialis) relies heavily on corals and often experiences localized extinction following sever coral bleaching.

Dr Morgan Pratchett took time out from his tropical research to travel to Newcastle University, UK, with funding from a Churchill Fellowship.
Free copyright is granted for use of these images in conjunction with ARC Centre of Excellence news stories


