The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs

The idea behind this book was first articulated in a conversation I had with Howard Choat early in 1987.1 believed then, and still do now, that scientists studying the ecology of fishes on coral reefs had reached that stage in understanding that would justify a book to summarize what was known, and make it readily available to a wider audience. The fact is that significant new ecological insights have been gained by workers in this area in the past few years—ones that are of general interest to ecologists working with other groups. Yet the press of an ever-increasing literature makes it more and more difficult for any scientist to read much beyond his or her primary focus. What I intended was a book about the ecology of reef fish, but written for the wider ecological audience.