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