Emily Chan
When the fish detects prey concealed beneath a rock, the octopus will wrap its body around the stone to trap the unfortunate animal.
The big blue octopus performed the wrapping action fewer times with the hunting party than it usually does solo.
It is believed that fish benefit from these hunting groups because an octopus can just reach into crevices where prey is hiding and draw them out. The octopus probably receives the most benefits, as it can simply follow the fish to food.
The videos were unable to capture whether the members of the hunting party remained the same. In the future, the team wants to figure out if the animals recognize each other, as that would make the social interaction even more complex.
The study was published in Nature Ecology & Evolution.
