A European shag (Gulosus aristotelis) was filmed practicing a never-before-seen hunting strategy. The episode, documented in the waters of Is Arutas, Sardinia, shows a young specimen using rocks and underwater tunnels to ambush fish, demonstrating surprising tactical ability.
The hunt in three acts
Scholars have described the sequence in three distinct phases. First, herding, where the shag guides the latterini towards predictable areas. Then the ambush, in which the bird hides behind rocks or in underwater tunnels before launching an attack. Finally, repositioning, to return to a strategic point and start the hunt again. This behavior goes beyond simple chasing: it is a real strategy of planned predation.
Surprising spatial intelligence
Despite limited underwater vision, the shag manages to capture fast prey by knowing the seabed perfectly. Rocks, tunnels and shadows are not obstacles but tools to use to your advantage. It is a form of environmental intelligence: the bird reads the territory and integrates the characteristics of the bottom into its hunting technique.
The discovery thanks to an amateur video
What amazed the experts was the fact that the discovery did not arise in the laboratory, but from an amateur underwater video. Daniele Grech, a keen diver, captured a few minutes of footage which revealed hitherto unknown behaviour. Collaboration between citizens and scientists opens up new possibilities for participatory research.
The #InVOLOinunMAREdiVIDEO project invites divers, fishermen and enthusiasts to send videos of seabirds to study their hunting techniques, depths reached and interactions between species. Each recording can become a piece to better understand an underwater world that still remains largely unexplored.
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