Fish Recruits Eel to Help Find Food
The Coral Trout recruits Moray eels to help hunt.
The coral trout is a species of grouper that is found around coral reefs throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is known to be an open water specialist when it comes to hunting. But a new study by Dr. Andrea Manica, from the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge in England, has found that the coral trout has evolved a clever tactic when its much smaller prey is able to hide in narrow chambers within the coral. The coral trout recruits the slender moray eel to go into the coral and chase the prey out, giving both trout and eel a better opportunity to hunt. Researchers found that this cooperative behaviour is as successful as that of chimps, who are also known to be good at choosing the best collaborators to help gather food.
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