But Vail and his colleagues wondered whether those collaborative abilities might also be found in other, more distantly related species. They found the best candidate in a rather surprising place: among a genus of fishes known as Plectropomus. In fact, studies have shown that roving coral grouper fish will team up with moray eels, too. More recently, Vail found that coral trout also hunt collaboratively with moray eels on the Great Barrier Reef.
To examine the collaborative tendencies of the fish in greater detail, the researchers brought some of those fish back to the lab to test their interactions with moray eel decoys, one "good" and one "bad." The "good" moray would come to the coral trout's aid when signalled, whereas the "bad" one would swim in the opposite direction. In fact, some morays in nature are more helpful to trout than others.
By watching these interactions, the researchers found that trout were similarly proficient to chimpanzees at determining when to collaborate. The researchers' observations also showed that coral trout were quick to learn which moray eel model was the better collaborator.
As stunning as they are, the findings in fish may not prove as unique as they seem.
"Our study shows that these collaborative skills are not confined to apes and raises the possibility that they may be found in a number of other animal species for which they are ecologically relevant," Vail says.
Coral trout are choosey about moray collaborators.
(Photo Credit: Alex Vail)
Coral trout are choosey about moray collaborators.
(Photo Credit: Alex Vail)
Source: Cell Press