Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Red grouper, the beavers of the ocean

Have you ever been on the bottom of the ocean and wondered who dug all those holes? OK, maybe not, but I'll tell you anyway, it might have been red grouper.

Scientists now know that red grouper dig holes that are used by many other animals, and they may be keystone species that provide a service that is important to an entire ecosystem.

Check out the video below, and watch a red grouper dig a hole. And watch for the applause from all the other grateful animals who benefit.


Oh yeah, red grouper aren't the only fish that do this, check out the antics of tilefish for another even more amazing example. But they didn't get top billing because I couldn't find such a cool video and the red grouper's agent promised a bigger kickback.

No comments: