Cooperative hunting and gregarious behaviour in the zebra lionfish, Dendrochirus zebra

Abstract

[Extract] Cooperative hunting is considered one of the most ubiquitous forms of cooperative behaviour in animals, and has been extensively studied in a range of taxa, including birds, mammals, fish and insects (Packer and Ruttan 1988). The zebra lionfish, Dendrochirus zebra (Cuvier 1829), feeds on small crustaceans and fishes and has been previously described as a solitary predator in which individuals hunt exclusively by themselves (Moyer and Zaiser 1981). Here, we report the occurrence of cooperative hunting in D. zebra from coral reefs around Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, Australia (14°40′S, 145°28′E)