Research Theme II: Physiology and development of coral reef fishes

How do coral reef fishes develop into athletes?

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Unlike many fish larvae which are relatively passive particles until they become juveniles, coral reef fishes are capable of amazing swimming abilities as larvae, with most larvae swimming 20-50 cm/sec! But how does an animal the size of your thumb nail support such performance? This knowledge gap is critical because such ‘athletic’ capabilities play important ecological roles, such as allowing larvae to navigate and find a reef home which supports future reef fish populations. My PhD research investigated the development of swimming capabilities of reef fish larvae from several different perspectives -evolution, ecology (primarily metamorphosis and recruitment strategies) and physiology- to better understand how and why the tiniest vertebrates perform as top athletes. Below are the individual topics of my PhD thesis:

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