Nuclear–follower foraging behaviour between Western Australian common octopus and brown-spotted wrasse
Ruchira Somaweera
A B D and Rehan Somaweera C
A Stantec Australia, 226 Adelaide Tce, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.
B School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Hwy, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
C Woodlands Primary School, 7 Bentwood Ave, Woodlands, WA 6018, Australia.
D Corresponding author. Email: ruchira.somaweera@stantec.com
Marine and Freshwater Research 72(11) 1679-1681 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF21059
Submitted: 16 February 2021 Accepted: 13 May 2021 Published: 5 July 2021
Journal Compilation © CSIRO 2021 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND
Abstract
A common feeding association among reef fishes involves nuclear and follower species, where the former disturbs the bottom, during which the latter opportunistically feeds on items exposed. Here, we report such interactions between Western Australian common octopuses (Octopus (cf) tetricus) and brown-spotted wrasse (Notolabrus parilus) observed on eight occasions while snorkeling at four temperate-water reefs along the coast of Perth in Western Australia. We compare the interactions observed to other octopus-fish nuclear–follower associations known. In general, these interactions usually benefit the follower species and could play a significant role on reef trophodynamics.
Keywords: commensalism, octopi, opportunistic foraging, reef fish, reef trophodynamics.
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