Cooperative hunting and foraging on Hawaiian reefs

Coopertive hunting and foraging is a mutualistic relationship between species and within species that can be observed on Hawaiian reefs. It is thought that all the individuals working together benefit from such a relationship. For example, two species hunting alone may not be as successful in capturing a prey as compared to working together.

Coopertive Foraging
Two fish species, a male Bullethead parrot fish (Chlorurus spilurus) and a Saddle Wrasse (Thalassoma duperrey), foraging together on a reef on the Kona coast, the Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Bullethead Parrotfish Chlororus sordidus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Fish Infraclass Teleostei Kona coast dive site Labridae Labroidei Lone Tree Arch Neopterygii Perciformes Phylum Chordata Saddle Wrasse Scaridae Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Thalassoma duperrey Vertebrate aquarium aquatic biosphere chordate colony colorful cooperative foraging coral deep dive diving exotic food fish in situ life male marine marine life naturalworld nature ocean reef saltwater scuba sea snorkeling spinyfinned fish swim swimming tourism travel tropical underwater underwaterphoto vacation water wild wildlife winter
Orangeband Surgeonfish
Orangeband Surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus) feeding cooperatively on turf algae.
Acanthuridae Acanthuroidei Acanthurus olivaceus Actinopterygii Chordata Class Actinopterygii Gray Chub Infraclass Teleostei Kona coast dive site Kyphosidae Kyphosus sandwicensis Lone Tree Arch Neopterygii Orangeband Surgeonfish Pacific Chub Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ marine life naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild winter
Orangeband Surgeonfish
Orangeband Surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus) feeding cooperatively on turf algae.
Acanthuridae Acanthuroidei Acanthurus olivaceus Actinopterygii Chordata Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Kona coast dive site Lone Tree Arch Neopterygii Orangeband Surgeonfish Perciformes Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ marine life naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild winter
Orangeband Surgeonfish
Orangeband Surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus) feeding cooperatively on turf algae.
Acanthuridae Acanthuroidei Acanthurus olivaceus Actinopterygii Chordata Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Kona coast dive site Lone Tree Arch Neopterygii Orangeband Surgeonfish Perciformes Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ marine life naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild winter
Cooperative hunting
A Peacock Grouper (Cephalopis argus) and a Whitemouth Moray Eel (Gymnothorax meleagris) hunting cooperatively on the Kona coast, The Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Anguilliformes Cephalopholis argus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Gymnothorax meleagris Infraclass Teleostei Muraenidae Neopterygii Peacock Grouper Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Serranidae Spring Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate Whitemouth Moray Eel biosphere chordate coopertive hunting in situ introduced species invasive invasive species marine life mutualism naturalworld nature scuba scuba diving underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild
Cooperative hunting
A Peacock Grouper (Cephalopis argus) and a Whitemouth Moray Eel (Gymnothorax meleagris) hunting cooperatively on the Kona coast, The Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Anguilliformes Cephalopholis argus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Gymnothorax meleagris Infraclass Teleostei Muraenidae Neopterygii Peacock Grouper Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Serranidae Spring Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei Vertebrate Whitemouth Moray Eel biosphere chordate coopertive hunting in situ introduced species invasive invasive species marine life mutualism naturalworld nature scuba scuba diving underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild
Convict Suregonfish foraging coopertively
Convict Suregonfish (Acanthurus triostegus) foraging cooperatively on turf algae that were photographed under water while snorkeling Kona, the Big Island, Hawaii.
Acanthuridae Acanthuroidei Acanthurus triostegus Actinopterygii Big Island Chordata Class Actinopterygii Convict Surgeonfish Convict Tang Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Kahaluu KailuaKona Kona Neopterygii Perciformes Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ marine life naturalworld nature snorkeling underwater underwaterphoto wild
Convict Suregonfish foraging coopertively
Convict Suregonfish (Acanthurus triostegus) foraging cooperatively on turf algae that were photographed under water while snorkeling Kona, the Big Island, Hawaii.
Acanthuridae Acanthuroidei Acanthurus triostegus Actinopterygii Big Island Chordata Class Actinopterygii Convict Surgeonfish Convict Tang Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Kahaluu KailuaKona Kona Neopterygii Perciformes Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate in situ marine life naturalworld nature snorkeling underwater underwaterphoto wild
Blue Goatfish and Bluefin Trevally foraging cooperatively
Blue Goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus) and Bluefin Trevally (Caranx melampygus) foraging cooperatively on a coral reef of the Kona coast, the Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Big Island Blue Goatfish Bluefin Trevally Carangidae Caranx melampygus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Mullidae Neopterygii Parupeneus cyclostomus Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei The Big Island United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate coopertive hunting in situ marine life naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild
Blue Goatfish and Bluefin Trevally foraging cooperatively
Blue Goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus) and Bluefin Trevally (Caranx melampygus) foraging cooperatively on a coral reef of the Kona coast, the Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Big Island Blue Goatfish Bluefin Trevally Carangidae Caranx melampygus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Mullidae Neopterygii Parupeneus cyclostomus Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei The Big Island United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate coopertive hunting in situ marine life naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild
Blue Goatfish and Bluefin Trevally foraging cooperatively
Blue Goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus) and Bluefin Trevally (Caranx melampygus) foraging cooperatively on a coral reef of the Kona coast, the Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Big Island Blue Goatfish Bluefin Trevally Carangidae Caranx melampygus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Mullidae Neopterygii Parupeneus cyclostomus Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei The Big Island United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate coopertive hunting in situ marine life naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild
Blue Goatfish and Bluefin Trevally foraging cooperatively
Blue Goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus) and Bluefin Trevally (Caranx melampygus) foraging cooperatively on a coral reef of the Kona coast, the Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Big Island Blue Goatfish Bluefin Trevally Carangidae Caranx melampygus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Mullidae Neopterygii Parupeneus cyclostomus Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei The Big Island United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate coopertive hunting in situ marine life naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild
Blue Goatfish and Bluefin Trevally foraging cooperatively
Blue Goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus) and Bluefin Trevally (Caranx melampygus) foraging cooperatively on a coral reef of the Kona coast, the Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Big Island Blue Goatfish Bluefin Trevally Carangidae Caranx melampygus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Mullidae Neopterygii Parupeneus cyclostomus Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei The Big Island United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate coopertive hunting in situ marine life naturalworld nature underwater underwaterphoto wild
Lau'ipala, Yellow Tang
Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) grazing cooperatively on benthic algae in water less than two meters deep (six feet) at Kona, the Big Island, Hawaii.
Acanthuridae Acanthuroidei Actinopterygii Big Island Chordata Class Actinopterygii Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Kahaluu KailuaKona Kona Neopterygii Perciformes Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate Yellow Tang Zebrasoma flavescens biosphere chordate cooperative foraging in situ marine life naturalworld nature snorkeling underwater underwaterphoto wild
Threadfin Butterflyfish and Bridled Triggerfish
A Threadfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga) and a Bridled Triggerfish (Sufflamen fraenatus) foraging coopertively off Maui, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Balistidae Bridled Triggerfish Chaetodon auriga Chaetodontidae Chordata Class Actinopterygii Infraclass Teleostei Neopterygii Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Plectognathi Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Sufflamen fraenatus Teleost Teleostei Tetraodontiformes Threadfin Butterflyfish Vertebrate biosphere butterflyfish chordate cooperative foraging in situ marine life naturalworld nature underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild
Cooperative Forgaing
A Redlip Parrotfish (Scarus rubroviolaceus) and a Saddle Wrasse (Thalassoma duperrey) foraging cooperatively at Molokini Crater, Maui Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Chordata Class Actinopterygii Ember Parrotfish Hawaii Hawaiian endemic Infraclass Teleostei Labroidei Neopterygii Perciformes Phylum Chordata Redlip Parrotfish Scaridae Scarus rubroviolaceus Seacam underwater housing Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate biosphere chordate cooperative foraging endemic in situ marine marine life mutualism naturalworld nature parrotfish scuba scuba diving underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild
Cooperative hunting
A Peacock Grouper (Cephalopis argus) and a Whitemouth Moray Eel (Gymnothorax meleagris) hunting cooperatively on the Kona coast, the Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Anguilliformes Cephalopholis argus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Gymnothorax meleagris Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Muraenidae Neopterygii Peacock Grouper Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Serranidae Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate Whitemouth Moray Eel biosphere chordate coopertive hunting grouper in situ introduced species invasive invasive species marine life moray mutualism naturalworld nature scuba scuba diving underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild
Cooperative hunting
A Peacock Grouper (Cephalopis argus) and a Whitemouth Moray Eel (Gymnothorax meleagris) hunting cooperatively on the Kona coast, the Big Island, Hawaii, USA.
Actinopterygii Anguilliformes Cephalopholis argus Chordata Class Actinopterygii Gymnothorax meleagris Hawaii Infraclass Teleostei Muraenidae Neopterygii Peacock Grouper Perciformes Percoidei Phylum Chordata Seacam underwater housing Serranidae Subclass Neopterygii Teleost Teleostei United States Vertebrate Whitemouth Moray Eel biosphere chordate coopertive hunting grouper in situ introduced species invasive invasive species marine life moray mutualism naturalworld nature scuba scuba diving underwater underwater photography underwaterphoto wild