The surprising B-side: description of a new foraging tactic for the pearl cichlid, Geophagus brasiliensis, in a coastal stream of the Atlantic Forest

Abstract

A new foraging tactic for the pearl cichlid, Geophagus brasiliensis, is described from underwater observations performed in a coastal stream of the Atlantic Forest, Southeastern Brazil. Named shift picking, the foraging tactic involved the manoeuvering of leaves, wood twigs and tree bark present in the substrate, with fish using its mouth to turn objects and uncover macroinvertebrates adhered to the underside of the object being picked (B-side). The object-shifting behaviour is rarely reported for fish and the present description seems to be the first record for a freshwater species of South America.