Convict Fish Biology And Evolution

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klausi

Contributor
Messages
461
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Location
Dumaguete, Philippines
# of dives
2500 - 4999
I recently got lucky enough to film a adult convict fish in Dauin, Philippines. This fish had just turned adult it seems, and was seemingly looking for a site for a burrow to excavate. I filmed that fish for quite some time - it's rare to see adults of these, though the juveniles are common.

This is the video:

I also wrote a blog post about the topic, which turned from an extended video caption into a brief review of the biology and evolution of the convict fish. Curiously, the closest relative of these fish are the African, Indian and South American freshwater Cichlids, the popular aquarium fishes.
 
It seems counterintuitive for juveniles to feed adults -- the opposite of parental care. I wonder how it benefits the species.
 
It seems counterintuitive for juveniles to feed adults -- the opposite of parental care. I wonder how it benefits the species.
True, on the surface. The social system in bees works similarly, though, the worker bees are all daughters of the queen. They work for the benefit of the colony, and of their relatives. Very unusual for a fish!
 
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