The only behavior I think Cohazard missed is...

[dbcb314]

So really, this could be used as another example of optimal foraging as Anne pointed out to us.

They choose not to use energy to protect small pieces of food, only larger more valuable pieces.

happens to mine too... they don't do this with blood worms or black worms or pellets. just cut up earth worms and market shrimp really.

 

[Red Devil]

thats what makes the bichirs so adorable... they are fun to watch.. mine don't do it anymore since they have no competition.. but they chew and throw it and have to run after it..

 

[E_americanus]

good thread with some interesting observations/discussion. just a couple notes that came to mind:

- bichirs being lower jaw or upper jaw is actually a morphological difference, not physiological. still decent theories on pursuit of prey type given jaw structure.

- bichirs, (as demonstrated by the sunfish paper...i actually took a class taught by Earl Werner, the guy who described optimal foraging in sunfishes) are not the only fish that will do that grab-and-go technique...i've observed the same behavior in lungfishes and gars. i am sure many other fishes will do this as well, and it likely happens in more densely packed environments, so it's no surprise we see it a lot in fish tanks, where fish are put into much closer quarters than they would be in the wild.

- another couple issues of interest in fish feeding dynamics to consider are gape limitation and handling time. i don't have time to describe them fully here, but would recommend looking up those two concepts for those interested in fish feeding mechanisms, etc. both play important roles in predatory fishes of all kinds--
--solomon

 

[beblondie]

2 things
A)hoarding is also common with alligators they are known to take prey and stash it underwater
for dining later
B)Thanks Sol i'll be looking them up later-Anne

 

[E_americanus]

So really, this could be used as another example of optimal foraging as Anne pointed out to us.

They choose not to use energy to protect small pieces of food, only larger more valuable pieces.

it is a function of optimal foraging, primarily the component of handling time. they are not really "protecting" the food based on size, they are compensating for differing handling times of the food items. small items can be swallowed fully very quickly, and require little handling time. larger items must be manipulated so they are swallowed properly, this takes time, and during this time they are open to other predators OR other fishes that may try to steal their food. because of this, they duck for cover where they can properly manipulate the food without risk of losing it.--
--solomon

 

[E_americanus]

2 things
A)hoarding is also common with alligators they are known to take prey and stash it underwater
for dining later
B)Thanks Sol i'll be looking them up later-Anne

B - no problem, i briefly explained it in my latest post, but there is plenty more info about it. i would recommend looking up Biology & Ecology of Fishes by Jame Diana (he's one of my committee members and friend of mine).

A - i don't know if i missed it in this thread, but did someone note hoarding behavior similar to what you are describing in alligators? if so, i have never seen this behavior in bichirs before. these fish generally swallow their prey right when they capture it (must also account for handling time), but i have never heard of nor seen a bichir take multiple food items, tuck them away somewhere and then eat them later. it generally does not fit the predation model for these or similar fishes--
--solomon

 

[Cohazard]

it is a function of optimal foraging, primarily the component of handling time. they are not really "protecting" the food based on size, they are compensating for differing handling times of the food items. small items can be swallowed fully very quickly, and require little handling time. larger items must be manipulated so they are swallowed properly, this takes time, and during this time they are open to other predators OR other fishes that may try to steal their food. because of this, they duck for cover where they can properly manipulate the food without risk of losing it.--
--solomon

so one could say they protect it to paraphrase, eh? lol



I have never observed the hoarding behavior either, and my guess would be that the fish who displayed it was trying to find a better spot to manipulate the food item which likely required a longer handling time, but didn't like the taste while it was fresh and spit it out?

 

[beblondie]

no I was just commenting on a similar behavior with gators hoarding food stuff or its way to early for me to be thinking lol-Anne

 

[E_americanus]

so one could say they protect it to paraphrase, eh? lol

not necessarily the same thing, but kind of. they are not really opting not to protect small items, it's that they can swallow them right away. it's a function of handling time, not protection.

I have never observed the hoarding behavior either, and my guess would be that the fish who displayed it was trying to find a better spot to manipulate the food item which likely required a longer handling time, but didn't like the taste while it was fresh and spit it out?

i would tend to agree--
--solomon

 

[benzjamin13]

I was feeding my fish last night and noticed that my Senegals will do the snatch and go here and there, but I then realized that my Knives do the snatch and go all the time.