Do tiny fish rule the reefs?

Covert fish larvae may serve as crucial cuisine in coral reef ecosystems Coral reef fishes are famous for their fantastic colors and forms. Easily overlooked are the cryptic and diminutive (cryptobenthic) bottom-dwelling fishes that also call coral reefs home. By linking empirical data and ecosystem modeling, Brandl et al. ( 1 ), on page 1189 of this issue, propose that pelagic (open-water) larvae of cryptobenthic fishes and their small juveniles that recently settled on reefs constitute a key food source for other reef residents. Such a scenario could help explain why coral reefs in nutrient-poor waters teem with life.