Young Corals, Fish Turned Off By Smell Of Damaged Habitats

By Leonard Ho

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From a reefkeeping perspective:

While several studies have found that activated carbon can induce head-and-lateral-line-erosion disease (HLLE), other studies revealing the significance of odors on fish’s and coral’s behavior (such as the GA Tech research described below) makes you wonder if media used to absorb odorous chemicals may benefit our livestock’s well-being. Foul odors built up over time may also partially explain why fish and corals are observed perking up immediately after water changes. Ultimately, the lesson is to maintain a healthy reef and be diligent about keeping the water as clean as possible because your fish and corals do not like a smelly home. You wouldn’t like living next to a garbage dump, so don’t make your animals suffer that fate.

From the Georgia Tech University

Pacific corals and fish can both smell a bad neighborhood, and use that ability to avoid settling in damaged reefs.

Damaged coral reefs emit chemical cues that repulse young coral and fish, discouraging them from settling in the degraded habitat, according to new research. The study shows for the first time that coral larvae can smell the difference between healthy and damaged …read more

Read more here: Advanced Aquarist