Ontogeny of in situ behaviours relevant to dispersal and population connectivity in larvae of coral-reef fishes.

The article discusses the study on the behavioural ontogeny of coral-reef fishes. It notes that speed, orientation, and vertical distribution of four coral-reef fishes such as Platax teira, Lutjanus malabaricus, Epinephelus coioides, and E. fuscoguttatus from aquaculture farms in Taiwan were measured. Results show that there are significant linear relationships between size and swimming speed in all of the four study species. Furthermore, the study also reveals the behavioural compensation in Platax teira, as well as the strong differences in the behaviour of two Epinephelus species. It concludes that behaviours and development of larval reef fishes affect larval and other reef-fish species' dispersal.