For several years now, Australian marine scientists have been piecing together a dramatic tale of life and death on our coral reefs; bouts of frenetic sexual activity, perilous ocean voyages, harems, sex changes, invasion, colonisation and slaughter. The life of a coral reef fish is a life lived against all odds, but the story is two-fold. Not only do fish face a long and dangerous voyage through each generation, they must achieve this success in an environment made increasingly more hostile by humanity. If you are not only beautiful but tasty as well, the odds only get worse. Scientists have unravelled enough of these fishy life histories to begin making informed suggestions on how to manage the piscine population of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR).