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A group of Bottlenose Dolphin feed on schools of mullet in a tidal creek near Cedar Key, Florida. The dolphins employ a unique strategy in capturing their prey. Each dolphin in the group has a specialized role that remains the same during each feeding bout. One dolphin acts as a 'driver' while the rest act as a 'barrier'. The 'driver' swims aggressively around the school of fish with strong tail slaps that drive the mullet towards the waiting 'barrier' dolphins. The mullet panic and leap out of the water in an attempt to escape only to be captured in mid-air by the dolphins.
Individual role specialization during group hunting is extremely rare in mammals. This may be the first documented case of a marine mammal that employs role specialization in their group hunting. Other marine mammals like humpback whales feed cooperatively on schools of fish but are not known to employ role specialization in their group hunts. This foraging behavior was well documented by Stefanie K. Gazda, marine biologist, in a paper published by the Royal Society of London entitled "A division of labor with role specialization in group-hunting bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) off Cedar Key, Florida", Stefanie K. Gazda, Richard C. Connor, Robert K. Edgar and Frank Cox.
A group of Bottlenose Dolphin feed on schools of mullet in a tidal creek near Cedar Key, Florida. The dolphins employ a unique strategy in capturing their prey. Each dolphin in the group has a specialized role that remains the same during each feeding bout. One dolphin acts as a 'driver' while the rest act as a 'barrier'. The 'driver' swims aggressively around the school of fish with strong tail slaps that drive the mullet towards the waiting 'barrier' dolphins. The mullet panic and leap out of the water in an attempt to escape only to be captured in mid-air by the dolphins.
Individual role specialization during group hunting is extremely rare in mammals. This may be the first documented case of a marine mammal that employs role specialization in their group hunting. Other marine mammals like humpback whales feed cooperatively on schools of fish but are not known to employ role specialization in their group hunts. This foraging behavior was well documented by Stefanie K. Gazda, marine biologist, in a paper published by the Royal Society of London entitled "A division of labor with role specialization in group-hunting bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) off Cedar Key, Florida", Stefanie K. Gazda, Richard C. Connor, Robert K. Edgar and Frank Cox.
| 8 months 1 week ago | CH
