Intentional partial beaching in a coral reef fish: a newly recorded hunting behaviour of titan triggerfish, Balistoides viridescens. Issue 5 (27th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tietbohl, Matthew D.; Hardenstine, Royale S.; Tanabe, Lyndsey K.; Hulver, Ann Marie; Berumen, Michael L.
• Is Part Of: Journal of fish biology. Volume 97:Issue 5(2020)
• Page Start: 1569
• Page End: 1572
• Publication Date: 2020-09-27
• Subjects: Balistoides viridescens, beaching behaviour, coral reef, feeding ecology, Red Sea, triggerfish; Fishes -- Periodicals; Fishes -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; 597
• DOI: 10.1111/jfb.14513
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1112

Abstract

Abstract: Coral reef fishes use a multitude of diverse feeding behaviours to increase their ability to successfully capture a wide range of prey. Here, this study reports a novel hunting behaviour in a coral reef fish, the titan triggerfish, Balistoides viridescens, where an individual was seen partially beaching itself while attempting to catch a Red Sea ghost crab, Ocypode saratan . This is the first report of this behaviour in the order Tetraodontiformes and represents an astonishing capability of this species to exploit food resources outside their typical assumed ecological niche.