The study of predatory fish, particularly the striped marlin, has unveiled a fascinating behavior that could significantly impact our understanding of animal communication and hunting strategies. Striped marlin, known for their speed and status as one of the ocean’s top predators, exhibit a unique hunting strategy that involves rapid color changes to coordinate attacks on schools of prey fish. This behavior is particularly intriguing because it is the first time such a phenomenon has been documented in a group-hunting predator, offering a new perspective on how these fish communicate and coordinate their attacks.
The research, conducted by Alicia Burns of Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, and her colleagues, utilized drones to capture high-resolution video footage of marlin hunting schools of sardines. The footage revealed a striking observation: the stripes on individual marlins became significantly brighter as they moved in for an attack, only to dim again once they swam away. This rapid change in coloration was not random but was observed to occur consistently during attacks. The researchers analyzed 12 video clips, each containing two separate attacks by two different marlin on a school of sardines. They also quantified the contrast of the stripes on the attacking marlins compared to a randomly chosen marlin that wasn’t attacking. Their analysis confirmed that the predatory fish rapidly change color, suggesting that the color change might serve as a reliable signal of an individual’s motivation to go in for an attack.
IN THE NEWS: Predatory fish use rapid colour changes to coordinate attacks
— ASFB (@AustSocFishBiol) March 4, 2024
A study published in Current Biology reveals that striped marlin use rapid colour changes to coordinate attacks on prey fish, like sardines, without injuring each other.https://t.co/gasB9OiTO1
This discovery challenges previous assumptions that color changes in predators were rare and primarily linked to stress or excitement. The researchers propose that the color changes in marlins might serve a dual purpose, not only signaling an attack but also confusing their prey. This dual-purpose hypothesis opens up new avenues for research, including exploring whether marlins use their color-changing abilities in other contexts, whether they still change color when hunting solo, and how these changes affect their prey. Additionally, the researchers are interested in investigating similar color changes in other predatory species of fish.
The study’s findings highlight the complexity of animal communication and the sophisticated strategies predators employ to hunt in groups. The rapid color changes observed in marlins during hunting suggest a highly coordinated and possibly communicative hunting strategy. This behavior not only provides a new understanding of how predators coordinate attacks but also raises questions about the evolutionary significance of such behaviors and their implications for the study of animal communication and social behavior.
The study of striped marlin’s rapid color changes during hunting offers valuable insights into the intricate communication systems of predators. It underscores the importance of observing and understanding the behaviors of wild animals to enhance our knowledge of animal communication and social dynamics. The researchers’ findings open up new research questions and opportunities to explore the evolutionary and ecological implications of such behaviors in predatory fish and potentially other species
