14 DAY TRIAL // Dolphins are apparently less understood than scientists would have us believe, shows a new research, conducted by Australian experts, and published recently in the journal PLoS ONE. The animals seem to exhibit a very rare talent, namely they're able to prepare their food. Such traits are usually only encountered in humans and some primates, so the new discovery should boost the public perception on the intelligence of dolphins.
The researchers followed some of these animals in their natural habitat, using underwater cameras and professional divers. They learned that the dolphins take a lot of precautions when eating cuttlefish for example, because their ink pouches, which they use to defend themselves, are very toxic and, therefore, unfit to eat. "It's a sign of how well their brains are developed. It's a pretty clever way to get pure calamari without all the horrible bits," Museum Victoria curator of mollusks Mark Norman, who was also a member of the team of investigators, told the Canberra Times newspaper.
The process by which they make the cuttlefish fit to eat is very complicated. First, they force the fish out of algae and into a clear patch of sandy ocean floor, and then they sit on top of it and remove its head with a single downwards stroke. Afterwards, the dolphins lift the carcass off the floor, and start pounding it with their snouts, to force the dangerous ink out. Next, they drag the body over the sand on the floor, to ensure that all bones are removed from the body. In the end, all that remains is a large piece of very soft and delicious meat that can be eaten without fear.
"In addition to our observations, individual bottlenose dolphins feeding at these cuttlefish spawning grounds have been observed by divers in the area to perform the same behavioral sequence," added Norman and University of Exeter researcher Tom Tregenza, co-author of the new paper. "The feeding behavior reported here is specifically adapted to a single prey type and represents impressive behavioral flexibility for a non-primate animal," they added.
In addition, some dolphins were observed while breaking larger fishes into smaller bits, so they could eat them more easily. The researchers are dazzled at this ability, saying that the find will bring about a new wave of studies on how these animals eat and behave, while in the wild.