Abstract
Until recently, oceanographic models have been used, with limited success, to predict the larval dispersal of coral reef fishes. Settlement‐stage larvae have been shown to be capable swimmers and have highly developed sensory organs. We built two simulation individual based models (IBMs) of larval dispersal in the Dampier Archipelago, Western Australia. One followed an oceanographic model, while the other was driven by behavioural constraints. We compare predictions of these models with an extensive dataset from a light‐trapping programme in an attempt to elucidate the overriding mechanism of larval coral reef fish dispersal.