Fish and Corals Need Each Other
Posted by Shari Horowitz in Tropical Fish Hobbyist Blog on January 25, 2012 at 6:33 am
Tangs are one of the many types of fish that have evolved to live among corals.
ScienceDaily (Jan. 23, 2012) — Lessons from tens of millions of years ago are pointing to new ways to save and protect today’s coral reefs and their myriad of beautiful and many-hued fishes at a time of huge change in the Earth’s systems.
The complex relationship we see today between fishes and corals developed relatively recently in geological terms – and is a major factor in shielding reef species from extinction, says Professor David Bellwood of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University.
“Our latest research provides strong evidence for a view that today’s coral hotspots are both a refuge for old species and a cradle for new ones,” said Peter Cowman, lead author of a recent report. “This is the first real inkling we’ve had that just protecting a large area of reef may not be enough – you have to protect the right sorts of reef.”
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123094801.htm
Photograph by LubaShi/Shutterstock.
