Apparent coordinated and communal hunting behaviours by Erabu sea krait Laticauda semifactiata

Opportunistic observations of Erabu sea kraits ( Laticauda semifaciata ) provide evidence that this species undertake a novel foraging tactic; coordinated communal hunting. Erabu sea kraits prey on cryptic fish species in highly complex reef habitats. Intra- and interspecific cooperative hunting str...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Scientific reports 2023-12, Vol.13 (1), p.21471-21471, Article 21471
Main Authors: Somaweera, Ruchira, Udyawer, Vinay, Amarasinghe, A. A. Thasun, de Fresnes, Joe, Catherall, Jay, Molchanova, Galina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/158/856
631/601/2721
Animal cognition
Animals
Cognitive ability
Conspecifics
Ecosystem
Fish
Fishes
Foraging behavior
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hunting
Laticauda
multidisciplinary
Predation
Predatory Behavior
Prey
Recreation
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Success
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Summary:Opportunistic observations of Erabu sea kraits ( Laticauda semifaciata ) provide evidence that this species undertake a novel foraging tactic; coordinated communal hunting. Erabu sea kraits prey on cryptic fish species in highly complex reef habitats. Intra- and interspecific cooperative hunting strategies may increase chances for all members of the hunting party to encounter and capture prey in these complex habitats. Here, we observed 52 instances of communal hunting by Erabu sea kraits with conspecifics and other predatory fishes at recreational dive sites in Southern Lombok, Indonesia. These observations highlight the potential higher cognitive capacity of sea kraits to coordinate activities around communal hunting events.
ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-023-48684-3