Something fishy going on... how coral fish find a new home
Last updated 3/9/2008 3:22:05 PM
Something fishy going on
They're aesthetically pleasing to the eye – truly beautiful and a sight to behold. But new research suggests that coral fish are pretty smart too when it comes to searching out their environment. A study by the University of Edinburgh has found that like most discerning home buyers, the fish spend a lot of time researching potential neighbourhoods before moving in. And to do so they don't need the help of Kirstie and Phil from Channel Four's Location, Location, Location.
Not for coral fish the usual worries about bad carpets or a bathroom which needs replacing. They apparently use their acute sense of hearing to eavesdrop on several different locations before deciding where to set up home. Scientists monitored the movement of fish at key stages and found that, like people, fish prefer certain types of neighbourhoods at particular stages of their lives.
Dr Steve Simpson, of the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences, said: "These findings show that hearing is crucial for the survival of fish. Reef noise includes the sounds of invertebrates and fish feeding, and so provides other fish with direct information about the residents on the reef."
Very young fish, having developed as larvae in open sea - away from reefs where predators lurk - are careful to choose the right location when the time comes to move back to the reef. Researchers found that very young coral reef fish, including damselfish, cardinalfish, emperors, blennies and gobies, are attracted to high frequency noises made by shrimps and sea urchins while, later in life, these same fish as juveniles and adults are drawn towards low frequency noises made by other fish.
The researchers believe this is because young fish behave similarly to invertebrates in their first few weeks on a reef - hiding in holes and snatching passing food - whereas adult fish are socially motivated and are drawn to areas where they can find shoal mates, forage for food and expand their territories.