Reef fish study

considerable attention in the past, and has been applied to a wide range of both animals and habitats. Body size, weight, growth rate, overall condition, sensory development and escape speed have all been linked to survival. Of these, body size has received the most attention from researchers, which has subsequently led to the development of a number of theories on how this characteristic may influence the predator-prey relationship. One of the most popular of these is known as the 'bigger is better' hypothesis. This theory predicts that larger body size should increase an individual's ability to escape from a predator due to the characteristics associated with this, such as overall strength and visual development. Bigger is thought to be better, but is this always the case? Compared with other habitats and ecosystems, not a great deal is known about predator-prey relationships within tropical reef communities. What we do know is largely limited to predator identity and, to some extent, to what these predators eat. But what drives these interactions and how does body size influence the outcome? How would fish populations respond to the removal of certain predators from a reef fish community? It is precisely these…