WATCH: How catfish taught themselves to snag pigeons for lunch
Along the Tarn River in France, freshwater fish have adopted a hunting technique more typically used by killer whales
European catfish typically trawl the bottom of freshwater lakes and rivers for food, opening their flat mouths to consume crustaceans, worms, small fish, and even the occasional frog. But along one stretch of island in the Southwestern region of France, the invasive species seems to have taught itself how to hunt unsuspecting pigeons. (Check out the video above.)
French biologists from the University of Toulouse wanted to observe this adaptation firsthand, and set up shop on a bridge overlooking the Tarn River, where the birds gather to bathe. They discovered that the catfish are squirming their way into shallow waters before lunging at birds, temporarily beaching themselves in the process — a hunting technique more associated with killer whales. If successful in chomping down on a pigeon, they violently drag the prey back into the water. The catfish's efforts succeeded 28 percent of the time.
What makes these catfish such adept killers? Researchers noticed that the fish only attack pigeons that fidgeted in the water. Birds that remained still, even when partly submerged, largely went untouched. This led researchers to believe that the catfish sensed prey using the water's vibrations rather than their eyesight.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The biologists aren't sure how this feeding habit started. Nonetheless, the European catfish now joins other species that have developed a taste for pigeon flesh. Like this turtle, for instance:
And this pelican:
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Is pop music now too reliant on gossip?
Talking Point Taylor Swift's new album has prompted a flurry of speculation over who she is referring to in her songs
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Nuclear near-misses
The Explainer From technical glitches to fateful split-second decisions, the world has come to the brink of nuclear war more times than you might think
By Rebecca Messina, The Week UK Published
-
What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai's severe rainfall?
The Explainer The future is flooded
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published