Etroplus suratensus hunting pattern

[duanes]

As they age, suratensus become primarily vegetarian, but at the size they are now, they actively hunt insect larvae and crustaceans.
Dropped in some artemia raised in the backyard and caught couple quick pics of them on the prowl, pics are too grainy for my taste (flash died), but I find the hunting contrast pattern interesting.
Normal coloration at this stage.

Hunting pattern below.

 

[Chub_by]

Nice pics, do you know why they change pattern?

 

[duanes]

Don't know why, just that when I add a live food the suratensus need to stalk, the color almost immediately changed.
Have also seen a color change when they want to be cleaned by small fish.
The adult Etroplus will seem to stand on their tails and flash a slightly different pattern, and when they do, small fish will come and pick at them.
This happened soon after my adult Etroplus had recovered from a ich outbreak a decade ago, when the suratensus stood on their tails, juvie Fossorochromis rostratus would come over and clean the old wound areas.

Nice pics, do you know why they change pattern?

 

[Chub_by]

That's really interesting! Can see how related they are to SW fish.

 

[duanes]

Here are acouple better, bit less grainy pics right after I added some artemia today.

 

[duanes]

been observing the last couple days, when I add live food to the tank, the first suratensus to notice flashes the hunting color, and all join in.
They then seem to cooperate in stirring up any detritus where the food may be concentrated, by blowing water into the substrate.
I have seen this before in Malagasy cichlids, but not in such a seemingly cooperative effort.