Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/20217
Title: The evolution of fishes on coral reefs: fossils, phylogenies, and functions
Contributor(s): Bellwood, David R (author); Goatley, Christopher  (author)orcid ; Cowman, Peter F (author); Bellwood, Orpha (author)
Publication Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1017/cbo9781316105412.008
Handle Link: https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/20217
Abstract: The last decade has seen major advances in our understanding of the evolutionary history of fishes on coral reefs. Where molecular and morphological phylogenies often clashed, they are now largely concordant, revealing clear patterns in reef fish evolution. This chapter synthesizes recent morphological and molecular evidence to address the evolution of both the forms and functions of fishes on coral reefs. Recent evidence allows us to identify six clear phases in the co-evolution of fishes and reefs. Over the past 400 million years, interactions between fishes and reefs have intensified from initial indifference to the complex ecosystems we see today, where coral reefs are highly dependent upon fish assemblages. Coral reefs, in turn, have acted as both cradles and refuges for fish lineages, underpinning both increased diversity and reduced extinctions. However, modern reefs are in decline. In many cases, coral reefs are losing crucial functions which have been established for tens of millions of years. Our understanding of how reefs functioned in the past offers a unique insight into the potential future of coral reefs.
Publication Type: Book Chapter
Source of Publication: Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs, p. 55-63
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Place of Publication: Cambridge, United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781316310168
9781107089181
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: 060206 Palaeoecology
060205 Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology)
Fields of Research (FoR) 2020: 310306 Palaeoecology
310305 Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: 960802 Coastal and Estuarine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity
Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2020: 180203 Coastal or estuarine biodiversity
HERDC Category Description: B1 Chapter in a Scholarly Book
Publisher/associated links: http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/209940694
Editor: Editor(s): Camilo Mora
Appears in Collections:Book Chapter

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