[Coral-List] Citizen science project on tool use in fishes

[juliette.tarieladam at gmail.com]

Dear Coral List members,

We're running a citizen science project on the use of tools in coral reef
fishes. The project focuses on anvil use where a fish grasps a hard-shelled
prey (sea urchin, clams, etc) and bangs it rapidly and repeatedly onto a
hard surface until the prey breaks. Nice video on the anvil-use behaviour
here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2478612818825788

Have you ever seen a fish using an anvil? Please report your observations on
the form available at the project website https://fishtooluse.com or by
email to juliette.tarieladam at gmail.com
<mailto:juliette.tarieladam at gmail.com> . Any information is useful:
location, species or family of the fish, so do not hesitate. Otherwise, open
your eyes! You might see a fish using a rock as an anvil very soon. We would
also be grateful if you share the project around you. 

Your participation would help identify all fish species that use anvils in
order to (1) find out if this behaviour evolved one or more times in the
evolutionary history of fish, and (2) test hypotheses about the evolution of
tool use, such as whether tool use only evolves in species with large
brains.

Don't hesitate to contact us for collaboration or any comment. 

Thank you very much.

Juliette Tariel-Adam

----

Postdoctoral fellow at  <https://thefishlab.com/> The Fish Lab, Macquarie
University, Sydney

Working with Prof. Culum Brown on  <https://fishtooluse.com/> tool use in
fishes

 <https://juliettetarieladam.com/> Personal website /
<https://twitter.com/TarielJuliette> Twitter

She/her