The Atlantic Reef Fish <i>Halichoeres rubrovirens</i> (IMAGE)

California Academy of Sciences

The Atlantic Reef Fish <i>Halichoeres rubrovirens</i>

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"We're finally understanding how the complex, ever-changing web of island life on land differs from the same web in the ocean," says senior author Dr. Luiz Rocha, Academy curator of ichthyology and co-leader of the Hope for Reefs initiative. "Think of iconic Galápagos finches -- when their ancestor arrived in the region, there were many empty land niches to fill and adaptations emerged to help them specialize over time. It's simply not the same in island marine habitats. Fast-dispersing marine organisms quickly colonize available niches, and we don't see the same pattern of specialized adaptation over time."

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© 2017 Joao Luiz Gasparini

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