Close
Blue Marine Foundation supported research conducted by a team of marine biologists from Anton Dohrn Zoological Station (SZN), University of Palermo and CNR who discovered a unique hunting behavior in the Mediterranean Sea, where blue runners use sandbar sharks as shields to hunt prey. Typically, fish use sharks for protection or to shed parasites, but the blue runners have been observed hiding behind the sharks and darting out to catch smaller fish like damselfish. This strategy makes their hunting far more successful, with prey detecting them only 10% of the time, compared to over 95% when they hunt in groups. The study highlights the importance of conserving shark populations, as their decline could disrupt these unique predator-prey interactions and impact marine ecosystems. The research emphasises the fragility of marine biodiversity and the critical role of top predators in maintaining ecological balance.
The research was conducted as part of two projects on the Strait of Sicily, led by the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station (SZN) with support from Blue Marine.
Photo: Rocco Cannella.
Read the whole story here.
Read the full study here.
Find out more about our work to protect sharks and rays in their ultimate Mediterranean hotspots in the Pelagie islands, Tunisia, and Egadi islands here.
