Multi‐species fish foraging associations during tool use by the graphic tuskfish <i>Choerodon graphicus</i> (De Vis 1885) (Labridae)

Pryor, Kimberley Jane; Milton, Ashley M.

doi:10.1111/maec.12669

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Our observations of fishes attending foraging C. graphicus at Île aux Canards (Videos S3 and S4) contrast with our previous observations of no fishes attending foraging C. graphicus at Îlot Maître (Video S6; Pryor & Milton, 2021). This newfound inclusion of attendants during foraging at Île aux Canards was probably because attendants had greater opportunity to notice and respond to visual cues such as body movements and auditory cues such as the sound of coral pieces scraping against other coral pieces (Fricke, 1975;Krajewski, 2009).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

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Tool use involving a different prey type, microhabitat and location, and long‐term anvil use, by the graphic tuskfish Choerodon graphicus (De Vis 1885)

Pryor¹,

Milton²

2023

Marine Ecology

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Tool use is a remarkable animal behaviour, and the investigation of this phenomenon in fishes is a relatively new and growing field. The graphic tuskfish Choerodon graphicus (De Vis 1885) has previously been documented using anvils but the extent and variability of this tool‐use behaviour remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated whether C. graphicus breaks open crustaceans and/or sea urchins on anvils in different microhabitats and/or locations. We also inspected two previously identified anvils for evidence of long‐term anvil use. Three individual C. graphicus were observed breaking open sea urchins on dead coral anvils in a coral rubble microhabitat at Île aux Canards, New Caledonia. They produced visual and auditory cues while carrying out tool‐use behaviour and these cues often attracted attendant fishes. Notably, two anvils appeared to have been used by one or more tool‐using C. graphicus for years at Îlot Maître, New Caledonia. These findings suggest that tool‐use behaviour is both innate and learned and is a prey‐handling method of choice used by individuals that learn to specialise in large prey items from a few underutilised hard‐shelled prey species. Furthermore, the findings show that specific anvils can be used long‐term and also suggest that individual wrasses may carry out tool‐use behaviour long‐term. The study provides new insights into the feeding ecology and social behaviour of C. graphicus and underscores the need to further investigate the extent and variability of tool use in fishes.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…C. graphicus is solitary and forages on rubble and sandy bottoms in lagoons and seaward reefs (Lieske & Myers, 1994) in search of three main prey types: crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins (Bray, 2023;Westneat, 2001). Some individuals break open molluscs on anvils and usually attract attendants when doing so (Pryor & Milton, 2021).…”

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Tool use involving a different prey type, microhabitat and location, and long‐term anvil use, by the graphic tuskfish Choerodon graphicus (De Vis 1885)

Pryor¹,

Milton²

2023

Marine Ecology

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“…To the best of our knowledge, the use of colour change by fishes themselves to signal the availability of food has not been documented. While co‐operation in animal social groups is often reported to be within species (Torney et al, 2011), there are multiple reports of multispecies feeding aggregations (Krajewski et al, 2006; Pryor & Milton, 2021; Sazima et al, 2006) and evidence that fish use referential gestures to form collaborations with other species of fish and invertebrates (Vail et al, 2013). Furthermore, we have seen that some species of goatfish use colour change in mutualistic cleaning interactions with cleaner shrimp ( Ancylomenes pedersoni ) on a Caribbean Reef (Caves, Green, & Johnsen, 2018), demonstrating that goatfish do use colour change for interspecific signalling.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic colour change as a signalling tool in bluelined goatfish (Upeneicthtys lineatus)

Tosetto,

Hart,

Williamson

2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Many animal species can rapidly change their body colouration and patterning, but often the ecological drivers of such changes are unknown. Here, we explored dynamic colour change in the bluelined goatfish, Upeneichthys lineatus, a temperate marine teleost species. Upeneichthus lineatus can change in a matter of seconds, from a uniform white colour to display prominent, vertical, dark red stripes. Initial observations suggested that rapid colour change in U. lineatus was associated with feeding and may act as a signal to both conspecifics and heterospecifics that are frequently observed to follow feeding goatfish. Field observations of the colour and behaviour of individual U. lineatus were collected to (1) document the repertoire of behaviours that U. lineatus displays and categorise associated colour patterns; (2) quantify the speed of dynamic colour change; (3) establish the context in which U. lineatus changes colour and pattern; and (4) test whether the behaviour of follower fishes is influenced by colour patterning or specific behaviours of the focal goatfish. We found that U. lineatus changed colouration from white to the red banded pattern in less than 10 s. The key driver of rapid colour change in U. lineatus was feeding, particularly when the fish fed with its head buried in sediment. Conspecific followers were most likely to be white in colour and adopt searching behaviour, regardless of the focal fish colour or behaviour. Other species of follower fish spent significantly more time following U. lineatus that were displaying dark red stripes when searching or eating, implying the red stripes may be an interspecific signalling mechanism. Our findings indicate that rapid colour change in teleost fish may be used for social communication and may provide U. lineatus with increased protection from predation when feeding via a safety‐in‐numbers approach.

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“…It would be expected to have more impact on a prey species if the tool-using wrasse specialised in it. Tool use may also benefit opportunistic attendant species via the incidental provision of prey (Pryor & Milton, 2021) (Choat, 1982;Coyer, 1995).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tool use by the orange wrasse Pseudolabrus luculentus and doubleheader Coris bulbifrons

Pryor¹

2022

Marine Ecology

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The present study investigated whether temperate wrasses in a geographical location in the southern hemisphere break open crab prey on anvils. Here, tool‐use behaviour is reported in two temperate wrasses, the orange wrasse Pseudolabrus luculentus and the doubleheader Coris bulbifrons, at Lord Howe Island, Australia. In addition to the previous observations of this behaviour, these findings suggest that tool use is common and may be ubiquitous, in medium‐sized carnivorous wrasses that are undergoing an ontogenetic shift from soft‐bodied to hard‐shelled prey.

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Multi‐species fish foraging associations during tool use by the graphic tuskfish Choerodon graphicus (De Vis 1885) (Labridae)

Cited by 4 publications

References 38 publications

Tool use involving a different prey type, microhabitat and location, and long‐term anvil use, by the graphic tuskfish Choerodon graphicus (De Vis 1885)

Tool use involving a different prey type, microhabitat and location, and long‐term anvil use, by the graphic tuskfish Choerodon graphicus (De Vis 1885)

Dynamic colour change as a signalling tool in bluelined goatfish (Upeneicthtys lineatus)

Tool use by the orange wrasse Pseudolabrus luculentus and doubleheader Coris bulbifrons

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