Coordination and cooperation across species boundaries

Cooperation is found within many animal species, but cooperation between species is rare because it requires mutual benefit and potential coordination. “During a field course in Corsica, we found the first potential evidence for cooperation between two different fish species,” says PhD candidate Myriam Knöpfle. That was the birth of the new project Coordination and cooperation across species boundaries by Knöpfle and Alex Jordan. They observed that a goatfish species (Mullus surmuletus) provides food for other fish as a by-product of its own feeding behaviour by disturbing the sediment and frightening invertebrate prey into the open water. They noticed a novel behaviour during this feeding interaction: tactile stimulation.

Their plan was to investigate this specific observation more closely during another field study in Corsica. Due to unexpected complications with using the field station’s laboratory and equipment, the researchers have not yet been able to conduct all research. Nonetheless, Knöpfle is fascinated by the observations: “What excites me the most about this project are the fish and their behaviours. After watching them feed for many, many hours, one cannot but love and adore them. They made me aware of how important touch is, also for humans.”