Collaborative Research: PurSUiT: The final frontier of vertebrate taxonomy: documenting the diversity of cryptobenthic coral reef fishes in the Indo-Pacific

‘Cryptobenthic’ reef fishes are a group of thousands of tiny (<5cm), bottom-dwelling species that are difficult to see but occur on coral reefs worldwide in staggering abundances and diversity. In fact, half of all fishes on a typical reef are cryptobenthic, but traditional surveys do not usually include these species. Due to the limited geographic extent of scientific surveys, countless cryptobenthic fish species have yet to be discovered and described, and local biodiversity inventories do not exist in most countries. This project explores the biodiversity of cryptobenthic coral reef fishes in the Indo-Pacific by: 1) conducting a series of local and regional inventories through standardized survey and collection protocols, 2) describing new species by considering multiple high-resolution sources of information to delineate closely related species, 3) analyzing the evolutionary diversification of a particularly species-rich lineage (the dwarf goby genus Eviota) and 4) training a new generation of fish taxonomists with strong ties to coral reef nations to ensure reef fish biodiversity research and conservation for years to come. Inventorying the diversity of life on our planet is a critical challenge that intensifies with the rapid change of the biosphere. Cryptobenthic fishes, which include the world’s smallest and shortest-lived vertebrates, are a biodiversity taxonomic frontier. This research employs standardized sampling techniques across four locations in the Indo-Pacific that promises particularly rich biodiversity discovery (the Lakshadweep, Philippines, Solomons, and American Samoa) with a cutting-edge integrative taxonomy framework and immersive training of young scientists to boost description rates of cryptobenthic fishes for years to come. By implementing an innovative genomics approach to species delimitation, the project will also improve our knowledge about evolutionary processes in the sea, while establishing a promising new model system of small, short-lived, hyperdiverse vertebrates. Finally, the project will establish a dedicated online platform and a museum exhibit to engender scientific discovery and spark public interest in the world’s smallest marine vertebrates. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.