Effects of larger heterospecifics and structural refuge on the survival of a coral reef fish, Thalassoma hardwicke.

The article discusses research done on the impact of heterospecifics and structural refuge on the survival of the coral reef fish Thalassoma (T.) hardwicke collected in Moorea, French Polynesia. The quantification of the habitat association for juvenile T. hardwicke and several sympatric labroid species was conducted using surveys. The identification of the impact of the sympatric labroid species on the survival of focal individuals was done using a field assay. Information on the establishment of social dominance hierarchies between T. quinquevittatum and T. hardwicke is also presented.