Eastern Indian Ocean region identified as a hotspot of reef fish hybridization

The isolated islands of Cocos-Keeling and Christmas in the Eastern Indian Ocean are a very special place for reef fish. The islands are home to the endemic joculator angelfish and they have become recognized as containing the highest diversity of reef fish hybrids. Cocos-Keeling and Christmas islands feature one of the widest representations of Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific species, which is the very reason there is so much hybridization of closely related species. Nearly all of the recorded hybrids are made by crosses of popular marine aquarium fish including three pigmy angelfish, four surgeonfish, two wrasses and four butterflyfish. Not bad, we’d say it’s time to go fishun at 12 10 S, 96 50 E. For more information see Marine hybrid Hotspot at Indo Pacific Biogeographic border from the science journal Biology Letters. Image from Wet Web Media.

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