Did you know that some coral reef fish establish a pecking order based on size, and use the threat of punishment to keep other fish in line?

Researchers at James Cook University recently published a study based on analysis of coral goby behaviour at Lizard Island in the Great Barrier Reef. Only the largest male and female gobies in a particular group mate, so gobies living together establish a queue according to size, and wait their turn to reproduce.

There appears to be approximately a 5% difference in size between any particular fish and the one immediately above or below it in the queue. If the size difference drops below this, there may be an ensuing challenge by the smaller fish to jump the queue and move ahead. But if it fails, the larger one may punish the upstart youngster by driving it out of the group…which in coral reef terms, probably means death.

Read more about this fascinating study here

This entry was posted on Monday, October 8th, 2007 at 4:22 pm and is filed under Critters, FiNS Fun Facts.