marine biology, animal behavior

The roar of nearby boat engines alters how fish care for and protect their young, resulting in fewer successful nests and smaller offspring, a study finds.

Researchers observe that dolphins in a pod in the Red Sea regularly rub against certain corals and sponges, perhaps to sooth their skin by prompting the invertebrates to release mucus that contains antimicrobial compounds.

Two glands increase steroid production after female California two-spot octopuses mate, a study finds. Those hormones may be responsible for the animals’ self-destructive behavior.

Avoidance of predation is a driving force behind the daily movements of marine creatures across the food web, a study concludes.

A study of feeding behavior suggests the fish feed differently in front of their partners—a behavioral feature also found in primates.

The Scientist spoke to marine biologist Tim Lynch, who dusted off 25-year-old data from his PhD to figure out why olive sea snakes approach divers so often. He says the animals, especially the males, likely confuse people for potential mates.

For the first time, scientists tracked large shark movements during hurricanes and found that tiger sharks may find the turmoil opportunistic for feeding.

The cephalopods resisted temptation for up to 130 seconds to earn their favorite food, hinting at sophisticated cognitive abilities such as planning for the future.

To help create better conservation and management plans, researchers are measuring how marine organisms move between habitats and populations.

Interspecies adoptions are rare, but it’s not the first time this population of dolphins in French Polynesia has attempted it.

Reef mantas in Indonesia exhibit social preferences and form distinct social groups.

Sea snakes wait in thirst for “lenses” of freshwater forming on the surface of the ocean after a heavy rain.

Watch a mantis shrimp punch its prey into submission using its specialized hammers.

Sorting the Beef from the Bull, Cheats and Deceits, A Sea of Glass, and Following the Wild Bees

A round-up of recent discoveries in behavior research

The quest to document an ancient sea creature reveals a cyclical chorus of fish songs.

Watch the coelacanth documentary that fish biologist Eric Parmentier and filmmaker Laurent Ballesta were making when they discovered and recorded a world of undersea sound.

Researchers uncover a self-recognition mechanism that prevents octopus limbs from becoming entangled, despite their powerful suction.

With high-speed cameras, scientists find that sailfish use their bills to corral and slash other fish, like schooling sardines.