Coral Reef Surgeon Fish: Evolving to Compete Through Mimicry February 2, 2012

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Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2012/01/24/Diversity_and_Evolution_of_Coral_Reef_Fishes

Luiz Rocha, Assistant Curator and Follett Chair of Ichthyology at the California Academy of Sciences, highlights the evolutionary advantage of the surgeon fish. The surgeon's genes allow them to mimic angelfish, entitling them to greater resources in the coral reef.

Image credit: Norbert Potensky via Wikimedia Commons

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Dr. Luiz Rocha, Assistant Curator, Ichthyology, California Academy of Sciences. Join us to welcome new curator on the ichthyology team, Dr. Luiz Rocha. Dr. Rocha's research interests center on the evolution, biogeography, and ecology of coral reef fishes. His overarching goal is to understand what drives the extremely high biodiversity found in tropical reefs. He has embarked on numerous expeditions around the world, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia, Polynesia, Micronesia, the Caribbean, South America, and Africa. His field work in Sao Tome was covered by National Geographic in 2008, and he appeared in a Science Channel documentary in 2009 discussing the effects of radiation at Bikini Atoll. - The California Academy of Sciences