How Sealife Hunts This video explains the different ways sea
life hunts
#5.
COMPETITIVE HUNTING The majority of marine life do not intentionally
share food with other creatures, and the only ones that do are bird parents that bring food
to their offspring and nursing marine mammal mothers.
In various species, parents protect their young ones before or after their birth however,
as adults, they do not share their food intentionally.
Like most carnivorous animals sea creatures such as sharks are quite selfish when it comes
to hunting, and like many spoilt toddlers, they don t believe in the concept of sharing.
Even if the creatures are of the same species, size, age, sex, and even if their stomachs
are full, they will NOT share.
This concept is basically known as competitive hunting.
This hunting technique is all about me, myself, and I, and sometimes creatures get so vicious
that the adults in the species prey on the younger ones.
Oftentimes, parent fish will also eat their own eggs just to satiate themselves.
Sounds pretty cruel, right?
Some of the most common examples of competitive hunting in the ocean are present in different
species of penguins, seals, fish, and whales all of which feed on krill.
Whenever these animals come across a krill, the biggest out of them scares the rest so
that they can feed on the prey all alone, in peace.
Over here, it s all about survival of the fittest!
#4.
COOPERATIVE HUNTING After that, we have cooperative hunting which
is probably the opposite of competitive hunting and also the most efficient way of hunting.
So for this technique, you ll see several different species of carnivores band together
so that they can hunt for food.
Each group in the hunting party has a different role and many of them share tasks so that
hunting can be done effectively.
While this is extremely rare, it does happen and brings many benefits to all the parties
involved in the hunt.
The sea creatures often end up capturing more prey with lesser effort.
Not just that, this method also reduces chances of injury and different species can benefit
from each other s strengths.
Species using this technique are Peacock groupers and white mouth moray eel hunting together
in Hawaiian waters.
Both these species hunt various types of crustaceans, fish, and mollusks that are often found in
the cover in the latticework of a reef.
Unlike the eels, the groupers are adept hunters in the water column above the reef.
In the same way, unlike the groupers, eels can maneuver in and out of the tight quarters
of the reef while hunting.
This hunting relationship begins when an eel is spotted sticking its head out of a hole
by a grouper.
When this happens, the grouper usually positions itself next to the eel and then shakes its
head to indicate its presence to the eel and to communicate that it is ready to hunt.
Reports show that oftentimes the grouper nuzzles the eel to encourage it to begin the hunt
This hunting technique can aslo start when a grouper spots an eel hunting alone, swimming
across the bottom, the grouper starts swimming next to it and joins in the fun.
Once the hunt begins, the eel usually seeks the prey in the cracks and crevices of a reef
to frighten the intended victim but does not capture it.
At this point the prey tries to escape the eel by swimming up into the water column,
however, it ends up right in the mouth of the waiting grouper.
However, if the grouper does not manage to capture the prey, the disoriented prey once
again seeks cover in the reef where the awaiting eel has no trouble capturing it this time.
Both the eel and the grouper gain easier access to food by hunting cooperatively.
However, keep in mind that there is no sharing, whichever hunter captures the prey, the food
belongs to him.
The other party gets to feed on any bits and pieces that happen to drift away from the
successful hunter.
Peacock groupers and eels aren t the only examples of sea creatures that use cooperative
hunting to capture prey.
We also have an example of the day octopus and various jacks who use this technique in
the Indo-Pacific reef communities.
The sea bass in the Caribbean reef communities also joins spotted morays while pursuing prey.
Some trevally jacks also hunt cooperatively with Whitetip sharks.
The sharks often hunt at night while resting during the day.
During daylight, however, the jacks hunt baitfish including the Creole fish in mid-water.
As they are pursued the school of prey starts panicking and seeks cover in the reef where
the resting sharks, sense the approaching prey, spring into action, and strike them
out.
Their slender mouth has the ability to fit into tight quarters.
They use this advantage to pursue the fish into cracks and crevices of the reef, capturing
some, while the fleeing ones return to the water column where they are gobbled by the
awaiting jacks.
A similar situation happens with the white mouth moray eels and the peacock groupers.
These poor baitfish are caught in a dangerous situation, with one predator on either side
of their escape route.
They stay in this situation until the jacks the sharks move onto a different prey.
#3.
SHADOW HUNTING A hunting relationship between two parties
of different species can be classified as shadow hunting.
One member in this relationship is carnivorous while the other can be carnivorous, herbivorous,
planktivorous, or omnivorous.
Usually, the other party is an active planktivore or a herbivore.
For this to work, the second member masks the active hunter to create the effect of
hunting blind . The way this works is that the prey does not see the actively hunting
species as its presence is blocked.
Usually, the nonhunting member is so big that the hunting carnivore is not visible.
Hence, it is much easier for the hunter to capture the prey using a surprise, swift attack.
A common example of this technique is when carnivorous fish like the grouper, the snapper,
or the jack are seen floating very close to a manta ray.
Manta rays are classified as planktivores and hence the grouper, snapper, or jack does
not see the manta as a threat.
The manta s size allows it to cover the hunters and oftentimes the small bony fish don t see
their hunters approaching behind the manta.
They all are just chilling when suddenly, a grouper, snapper, or jack comes and gobbles
them up!
Another example is when both members in the hunting relationship are carnivorous.
In such a scenario, the non-hunting partner is used by the actively hunting partner to
mask their presence.
Oftentimes a trumpetfish uses a lionfish or a grouper so that it can mask itself.
The trumpetfish uses the other species as its blind, making a sudden strike at smaller
shrimp, fish, or crustaceans.
Following the attack, regardless of whether it was successful or not, the fish will return
to its former position and try again until its appetite is satisfied.
#2.
OPPORTUNISTIC HUNTING Opportunistic hunting occurs when an animal
exposes its prey, giving another animal the chance to gain access to it.
An example of this technique is when bar jacks opportunistically hunt next to southern stingrays.
Stingrays have a varied diet including different types of worms, shrimps, echinoderms, bivalve
mollusks, crabs, and other small fish and they can be seen foraging the sand looking
for prey.
Barracks also have a similar diet which makes both parties perfect for each other s opportunistic
hunting.
During the foraging of the sand, the stingray often flushes up different creatures.
These animals are panicking and feel disoriented, which is why they are the perfect prey for
the opportunistic bar jack.
The jacks are quick learners and they often position themselves to the side or directly
above a hunting stingray.
In this relationship there is no benefit for the stingray, however, the jacks do compete
with each other in capturing the prey flushed out by the stingray.
Yellow stingrays are also often spotted opportunistically hunting with bar jacks.
Along with that this hunting relationship is also common among rays, goatfish and hogfish
along with many different types of puffers which also feed in numerous types of sand
animals and take advantage of the rays flushing.
#1AMBUSH HUNTING Last but not least we have the technique known
as ambush hunting.
For this technique, sea creatures hide in dark nooks or crevices and wait patiently
for their prey.
To any approaching prey, the hunter is not visible and as soon as they swim close enough,
the hunter strikes out and grabs them.
Pufferfish uses various techniques for hunting including the ambush hunting method.
Pufferfish have a varied diet but for the most part, they are carnivorous.
Their hunting technique involves waiting patiently for their unsuspecting prey in hidden areas
and as their prey slowly swims by they wait for the perfect moment to strike out.
The fish s front teeth form a beak-like formation which allows it to devour hard-shelled prey
easily.
Which hunting technique would you like to use if you were a sea life species?