Wrasse using tool

[kams56]

A few weeks ago I was out at a petco when I picked up a nice yellow coris wrasse. It was admittedly an impulse buy, but my tank can support it and it really needed the color. Anyway I feed intant algae pellets every now and again and i noticed that even though they are the smallest size they were still too big for the wrasse to swallow whole. what I had done in the past when this happened to my clown was crush the pellets up before feeding. But I've gotten busier, and didn't have to the time so I just tossed in the whole pellets and watched as the wrasse would catch a pellet, and carry it over to a rock or a shell and smash/scrape it against the rock until it broke into smaller peices.

This by scientific deifinition is the use of a tool. To some this may not sound that impressive, but I personally think its pretty cool. I have only heaqrd of one other instance of a fish using a tool. I know there ae plenty example of other animals using tools, but there are very few of fish.

I did get a video, but it isn't the best quality.

http:// http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=na988rGVq4c

 

[this is me]

Very nice. Yes, fish are smarter than we give them credit for.
My clowns feed their anemone because they know they need to keep their host happy.

 

[freakit]

Video didn't work for me. Must be interesting to see.


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[reefstarter]

Very cool , I agree fish are "supposed" to learn by conditioning , but I believe they think and Know who we are . My 2 Black and white Ocy's always swim up to the tank , and toward my hand if I put it in the water

 

[mountaineer]

My Mcoskers does the same thing with algae pellets.

 

[Marshall O]

I think you know this already, but this is very common for certain genera of Wrasses, including Halichoeres, Thalassoma, Cheilinus, Coris, Choerodon, etc. Basically any that consumes inverts like snails, crabs, urchins, etc. Although even most of my Fairy Wrasses will try this (with less success) whenever they grab food too big.

 

[freakit]

Funny, I saw my Hoeven's wrasse do this today.


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[choff]

This got me thinking about seagulls dropping clams and if that is really considered tool use (it is) to see if this also is considered tool use (it is). I was thinking about it from an incorrect perspective that the animal had to be holding the tool. Anyway, in proving myself wrong i stumbled across this.

http://news.sciencemag.org/environment/2011/07/diver-snaps-first-photo-fish-using-tools

Apparently this has only recently been proven. Very cool and thanks for helping me burn 30 min at work.


Edit: I have a fang blenny that has the same problem, but clearly flunked school and hasn't figured out a solution. He just swims around with it hopelessly spitting it out and trying again over and over until another fish eats it.

...stupid auto correct

 

[JoelA]

My Hoeven's smacks a myesis that's too large on the rock to bust it up. Great.