Grouper in Roatan gets a teeth cleaning by his little friend
Groupers are intelligent fish, and capable predators. They ambush their prey or actively hunt fish, octopus, and crustaceans. They create a powerful suction as they open their mouths and inhale their prey. Small fish are wise to avoid the powerful jaws of the grouper.
But the ocean is a complex world with many unusual relationships that exist between the inhabitants here. The grouper has found a resting spot in a large barrel sponge. The sponges are animals, although they are rooted in place, unable to move. They draw sea water in and pass it out, filtering nutrients that they consume as food. The gentle water flow may be enjoyable for the grouper as it also enjoys the concealment from predators and their intended prey. Barrel sponges are the longest living animals on the planet, occasionally reaching 2500 years.
This grouper is involved in a mutually beneficial arrangement with the small wrasse that darts in and out of its mouth. The wrasse is known as a cleaner fish and they hide among the corals and sponges until they are called into action. A larger fish such as this grouper signals the wrasse by tilting upwards and opening its mouth wide. The wrasse trusts the grouper in an age old contract that provides the wrasse with food as it cleans the teeth of the grouper. This benefits the grouper by preventing rotting material from remaining in the mouth, causing infections and sores. The grouper gets free dental care and the wrasse gets a meal. The grouper will not break the trust of his little friend.
-
1:27
WildCreatures
11 days ago $1.56 earnedMajestic elephant roams free in Kenya, Africa
2.55K1 -
1:57:04
Kim Iversen
12 hours agoWEF’s Klaus Schwab Is Retiring. Who's Next? GOP Bill Gives VA Benefits To IDF Soldiers | Anti-Genocide 2024 Candidate Jill Stein
63.8K213 -
22:46
Producer Michael
19 hours agoTHESE ARE THE CHEAPEST ROLEX AND CARTIER WATCHES YOU CAN BUY RIGHT NOW!
3162 -
17:34
Yarnhub
20 hours agoMidway From The Japanese Perspective
9246 -
59:34
World Nomac
1 day agoI visited Bangkok Thailand's CRAZIEST Places 🇹🇭
1.86K4 -
1:40:49
MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab
20 hours agoJim Shockey: How A Legend Is Coping With Loss With A Resilient Mindset
1.58K2 -
20:45
ShaunJonesFitness
15 hours agoMike Tyson Loses His Cool With Reporters. Jake Paul GETS PERSONAL! Press Conference REACTION
1.78K2 -
17:50
JoBlo Originals
16 hours agoWhat Happened to Collateral?
8.91K35 -
42:11
TheTapeLibrary
14 hours agoThe Scariest Japanese Urban Legends
20K5 -
17:01
Melonie Mac
15 hours agoStreamer Says Men are the Problem with Gaming
26.1K55