Credit: University of St Andrews |
Shooting prey is a more prevalent hunting method in fish than previously assumed as per a new research conducted by the University of St Andrews. According to the study published in Experimental Biology, the dwarf gourami, a popular ornamental fish, can spit water or shoot to hunt for insects above the water surface. Previously, it was assumed that only the archerfish could shoot prey to feed. Ballistic predation is a rare foraging adaptation. In fish, most attention has been concentrated on a single genus, the archerfish, which was already known to control water to shoot down prey above the water surface. |
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The research team examined the shooting behaviour and elements of its significance as a foraging ability in the dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius), a common ornamental species adopted as a pet in home aquaria around the world. Dr Nick Jones, of the School of Biology at the University of St Andrews, said: "Together the results provide evidence that gourami shooting has a foraging function analogous to that of archerfish. Gourami shooting may serve as an example of convergent evolution and provide opportunities for comparative studies into the, yet unexplored, ecology and evolution of shooting in fish species." |
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