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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
 Posted - 12/08/2006 : 06:33:30
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Cool stuff! In the first observed case of inter-species hunting cooperation not involving humans, scientists have discovered that giant moray eels and groupers in the Red Sea join together in teams to hunt fish. The groupers initiate the hunting, first by locating prey hiding in coral crevices that they cannot get at, then going to morays and inviting them to hunt with them, using gestures.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2006 : 07:01:28 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by HalfMooner
Cool stuff! In the first observed case of inter-species hunting cooperation not involving humans, scientists have discovered that giant moray eels and groupers in the Red Sea join together in teams to hunt fish. The groupers initiate the hunting, first by locating prey hiding in coral crevices that they cannot get at, then going to morays and inviting them to hunt with them, using gestures.
I'd never heard of this behavior in fish, apart from cleaners. Very interesting....
There is a fair amount of cooperation between species -- crabs that stick anemones and sponges to their shells for instance. But with these, the anemones have no choice in the matter and the crab loses it's partner(s) in crime when it molts. Another is a species of wrasse that partners with a burrowing shrimp. The shrimp digs the burrow and keeps it tidy, while the fish keeps a lookout for danger.
Thanks for the info. I'm looking forward to a Copeia article on it.
On a side note, both groupers and morays are excellent in the skillet.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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BigPapaSmurf
SFN Die Hard
3192 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2006 : 10:56:15 [Permalink]
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| I dunno Dave that was pretty damn clever, how much does your day job pay? |
"...things I have neither seen nor experienced nor heard tell of from anybody else; things, what is more, that do not in fact exist and could not ever exist at all. So my readers must not believe a word I say." -Lucian on his book True History
"...They accept such things on faith alone, without any evidence. So if a fraudulent and cunning person who knows how to take advantage of a situation comes among them, he can make himself rich in a short time." -Lucian critical of early Christians c.166 AD From his book, De Morte Peregrini |
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Neurosis
SFN Regular
USA
675 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2006 : 11:07:55 [Permalink]
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| I'm sure you could get 45K for jingles. |
Facts! Pssh, you can prove anything even remotely true with facts.
- Homer Simpson
[God] is an infinite nothing from nowhere with less power over our universe than the secretary of agriculture.
- Prof. Frink
Lisa: Yes, but wouldn't you rather know the truth than to delude yourself for happiness?
Marge: Well... um.... [goes outside to jump on tampoline with Homer.] |
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Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/08/2006 : 22:41:54 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dave W.
[Singing...]
When a grouper gets help catching fish in the kelp
That's a moray...
[Not quitting my day job.]
GMTA, Dave. When I was a teenager, I sang it as:
"When an eel bites your thigh
And you think you will die,
That's a moray!"
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2006 : 22:07:53 [Permalink]
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I like the fact the grouper nods to the eel. "Say, ya wanna catch a bite over at the Reef?"
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2006 : 23:06:57 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by beskeptigal
I like the fact the grouper nods to the eel. "Say, ya wanna catch a bite over at the Reef?"
I find the whole relationship very odd. Almost like an Aesop fable.
I was once taken back when visiting an aquarium shop to buy fish. The shopkeeper told me that oscars are really smart. "Let me show you," he said, tapping his fingers on the surface of an oscar tank. An oscar swam to the surface right away, rolled over on its back, and let the shopkeeper scratch its belly.
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2006 : 23:14:28 [Permalink]
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Wow! So few humans recognize animal intelligence. There it is, right in their face, and it doesn't look enough like human intelligence so it is immediately relegated to "learned behavior", as if we don't learn to behave. 
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/09/2006 : 23:42:32 [Permalink]
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I think part of the problem is that animals don't talk to us, and we can't generally read their expressions and body language. (Dogs are an exception, being quite evolved at making themselves understood with body language.) So, since we see no intelligence, just as with a severely retarded human, we assume there is none there. Years of behaviorism and having "beware of anthropomorphism" (which is often a good idea) drummed into our heads has also taken a toll, I suspect.
Seeing intelligence in animals is something akin to seeing UFOs -- it doesn't make one look good to report it. But unlike UFOs, we may be finally acquire the scientific tools to see and measure animal intelligence. Almost any dog owner knows his dog understands dozens of words, independent of the tone in which they are spoken. That's not scientific knowledge of dogs. But I consider it real, since I've repeatedly experienced it.
There's simply something "there" inside the heads of a lot of "dumb beasts."
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard
USA
3834 Posts |
Posted - 12/10/2006 : 01:15:24 [Permalink]
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It isn't that animals can't speak human languages, it's that people are so egocentric.
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 12/10/2006 : 02:42:29 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by beskeptigal
It isn't that animals can't speak human languages, it's that people are so egocentric.
We just won't listen, just like with our toddlers, eh?
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“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
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