What is this Spanish hogfish & sharptail eel up to???......Is it what I

[diver 85]

have in the title ie are they 'hunting' together---or just long lost friends??..----,video shot in Bonaire last September..........I was reminded of this video by another that was posted on the CZM forum about a green eel & queen angelfish 'interacting' together...What are these 2 up to???--any ideas??........click below link....tia......

EDIT:...Was diving Bari's Reef & started videoing cuz I really thought the hogfish was getting ready to eat the eel......but, I was wrong---would have made for a better video...lol

https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/9716485825/in/set-72157635343681418

 

[Steve_C]

I saw a large green moray and a grouper hunting together off Key Largo. Clearly working side by side. Eel poking in the corners. Grouper either catching those fleeing the eel or driving more into the corners. The continued doing this until out of sight.

Looks like the Spanish was letting the eel flush up some prey.

 

[spoolin01]

I've seen this a few times in Hawaii too - small jacks, blue goatfish, and moray eels hunting together. The jacks and goatfish are a pretty common pairing, but now and then you see them with an eel as well. Sometimes it's quite a collaborative frenzy.

 

[KeithG]

Hunting together? notsomuch. opportunistic hog fish? Jackpot!

We often see "group hunts" where the group can either be symbiotic or opportunistic (parasitic is the wrong word).

In this case I claim the hogfish was attempting to freeload and snap up any leftovers.

 

[diver 85]

Hunting together? notsomuch. opportunistic hog fish? Jackpot!

We often see "group hunts" where the group can either be symbiotic or opportunistic (parasitic is the wrong word).

In this case I claim the hogfish was attempting to freeload and snap up any leftovers.

Wonder why it(hogfish) didn't just 'go for' the eel---bound to be a little something good to munch on there...

 

[danvolker]

One thing I think we know, is that Spanish Hogfish are cleaner fish for turtles....and when a turtle poses in the position that indicates it wants to be cleaned, the spanish hogs come up to it, on cue, and clean.
So they are able to take body language from another species, and process a response..and be symbiotic....

So I think at least a "maybe" for this being a shared hunt. Many have seen this with sailfish and sharks and dolphins too. I think many fish species, particularly apex predators, are much smarter than people give them credit for. On the other hand, normal hogfish ( different species than Spanish) are pretty stupid....close to the order of dairy cow stupid....or as stupid as a goldfish.

 

[T.C.]

It's called nuclear hunting.

The hogfish scares little fish into the reef, and the eel goes in after them. The hogfish guards the exits, and gets a meal when the little fish tries to escape.