A predatory species of fish has adapted to the destruction of its local coral reef by using another fish, the peace-loving parrotfish, for cover, according to a new study.
Researchers and local divers in the Caribbean have long talked about the tactic and painted a similar picture: The long, thin trumpetfish swims alongside the more rounded parrotfish (or another reef fish) as if seeking cover from it. But does this really help the trumpetfish to hunt?
To find out, the researchers from the universities of Cambridge and Bristol staked out three locations off the coast of Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean. At each, they ran a series of experiments on 36 different colonies of damselfish, a food source for trumpetfish.
A trumpetfish model hides behind a parrotfish one. (Credit: Sam Matchette)
Sam Matchette
The scientists set up a network of nylon lines and pulled hand-painted, 3D-printed models of the predator ...
