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Monday, May 12, 2008

Scales of justice for smaller fish

BRISBANE - Fish diet to avoid being attacked and shunned by their own species and eaten by predators, research has found.

The study by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University found the subordinate coral reef gobie fish deliberately diet to avoid posing a treat to their larger rivals.

Dr Philip Munday said the research, published in the journal Current Biology, found that in gobies, where only the largest male and female had mating rights within the group, all subordinate fish were 5 to 10 per cent smaller than its next largest rival.

The researchers tried to fatten up the subordinate gobies but the fish refused to eat the extra food.

- AAP

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