Two species of gobies (small fish) live on a coral reef.The two species use similar habitats and compete equally for vacant corals.The "winner" is the goby that arrives first.Juveniles and adults of the two species have the same relative abundance.When one species is removed experimentally, either species can colonize the vacant coral.These factors indicate that the presence of the two species on the reef can best be described by a model called the

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that both species use similar habitats, compete equally for vacant corals, can colonize vacant corals when the other species is removed, and have the same relative abundance indicates that the presence of the two species on the reef can be best described by a lottery, or neutral, model. In this model, the species coexist by random chance rather than through direct competition or niche differentiation.

Two Species of Gobies (Small Fish) Live on a Coral