A dolphin named Bubbles makes other fish vomit, then eats it
Summary
A male bottlenose dolphin named Bubbles off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has a unique way of feeding. He chases bigeye trevally fish until they vomit their food, which Bubbles then eats. Researchers studied this rare behavior, called kleptoparasitism, over several years.Key Facts
- Bubbles is a male bottlenose dolphin living near Lady Elliott Island, Queensland, Australia.
- He has been observed since at least 2017 performing a special feeding method.
- Bubbles chases bigeye trevally fish, stressing them until they vomit their recent meal.
- After the fish vomits, Bubbles eats the regurgitated food but does not eat the fish itself.
- This behavior is called kleptoparasitism, where one animal steals food from another, often by causing it to lose or drop the food.
- Bubbles repeats this behavior up to 10 times in 30 minutes and usually forages alone.
- Researchers think Bubbles uses echolocation (a way dolphins use sound to locate objects) to choose which fish to target.
- This feeding strategy may save energy compared to chasing and catching fast-moving fish directly.
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