NEUCHATEL, Switzerland, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- A species of reef fish in the Red Sea has been observed working in teams to hunt down and catch their dinner, scientists say.

Packs of yellow saddle goatfish, a tropical fish found in the Indo-Pacific region, have been observed hunting cooperatively by having one fish chase prey around a coral formation while other gather to block potential escape routes, the BBC reported Wednesday.


The discovery of this unusual coordinated behavior places the fish in an elite group of species known to hunt collaboratively, the researchers said.

Scientists from the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland, were studying the fish in the Red Sea off the cost of Egypt to find out more about their social structure.

"The starting point of our study was [the] observation that [yellow saddle goatfish] co-ordinate their actions," said researcher Redouan Bshary, who led the study.

Each fish seemed to adopt a specific role during the hunts as either a "chaser" or a "blocker," he said.

Similar behavior has only been identified in a handful of species, primarily mammals, but also some birds, he said.

Very few fish have been seen to "work together," Bshary said.