Cooperative hunting between different species is rare, but Nassau groupers (*Epinephelus striatus*) and moray eels (*Gymnothorax moringa*) are known to hunt together. When a prey fish escapes into a narrow crevice in the coral reef where the grouper cannot reach, the grouper will often locate a moray eel and perform a rapid head-shaking gesture. Marine biologist Dr. Liam Chen hypothesized that groupers employ this signaling behavior specifically as a targeted recruitment strategy to solicit help for extracting inaccessible prey, rather than as a general response to the presence of potential prey in the area.
Which finding, if true, would most directly support Dr. Chen's hypothesis?
- AGroupers and moray eels capture significantly more prey per hunt when cooperative hunting than when either species hunts individually.
- BCooperative hunting behaviors are common among many predatory fish species inhabiting coral reef ecosystems.
- Groupers frequently perform the head-shaking gesture when a prey fish is hidden in a crevice, but they rarely do so when an equivalent number of prey fish are visible in open water.Answer
- DMoray eels that have been recruited via the head-shaking gesture are more likely to share their captured prey with groupers in future hunts.
Answer
The correct answer is the option stating that groupers frequently perform the head-shaking gesture when a prey fish is hidden in a crevice, but they rarely do so when an equivalent number of prey fish are visible in open water.
The finding that groupers frequently signal when prey is hidden in a crevice, but rarely do so when prey is in open water, directly supports the hypothesis. It demonstrates that the gesture is a targeted response to prey inaccessibility rather than a general response to prey presence.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying textual evidence that supports a specific hypothesis or claim