Coral trout know which eels will help catch prey

 Previous studies have shown fish and eels work together to flush out and catch prey, and new research suggests coral trout are especially discerning in choosing their hunting partners.

Scientists have observed a number of species cooperating in the sea, including sea trout, grouper, and a variety of eels. But the latest research by scientists at the University of Cambridge is one of the first to take an in-depth look at a fish's collaborative behaviors.
The evidence suggests that coral trout are just as specific and adaptive in their collaborative skills as are chimpanzees.
"The trout's collaboration appears to be relatively special, as it uses gestures to coordinate its hunts with partners of different species, such as morays, napoleon wrasse, and octopus," Alexander Vail, Cambridge scientist and lead author of the latest study, explained in a press release.
In addition to observing the coral trout in the wild, the marine biologists also watched several specimens more closely in a lab setting. Their experiments showed the trout can learn to differentiate between eels that are prone to collaboration and those that are less helpful.
"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 added.