Whales SING for their supper: Humpbacks make 'tick-tock' sounds to flush out fish hiding beneath the ocean floor
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Whales 'sing' for their supper as they mount joint operations to track down food, according to new research.
Scientists know that humpback whales have a trick or two when it comes to finding a snack at the bottom of the ocean.
But up until now, how they find their meal at night, with little or no light, had been a mystery.
Dinner time: Whales 'sing' for their supper as they mount joint operations to track down food, a study claims
The latest study looked at the importance of specific auditory cues that these mammoth creatures emit as they search the deep ocean for their prey.
'Humpback whales are known to cooperate with others to corral prey near the surface,' said Professor Susan Parks at Syracuse University.
'Recent studies suggest they may cooperate [with each other], when feeding on bottom prey, as well.'
Silent hunters: The investigation revealed that whales make 'tick-tock' noises while hunting together at night in deep, pitch-black water, but are silent when hunting alone
Tasty: The whales in this study mainly fed on sand lance (pictured). Sand lances are most commonly found by fishermen in the North Pacific and North Atlantic, but are found in oceans throughout the world
Whales off the coast of Massachusetts were tagged with special underwater recording devices so Professor Parks could determine how specific sounds correlated with seafloor feeding.
The investigation revealed that whales make 'tick-tock' noises while hunting together at night in deep, pitch-black water, but are silent when hunting alone.
The reason for this change in tactics remains unknown, however.
Researchers found that they were mostly looking for sand lance - eel-like fish known to bury themselves in the sand of the ocean floor.
Professor Parks suggests that whales' vocal sounds may help flush the sand lance out of hiding to where they're scooped up and eaten.
The clock-like sounds created by whales may also serve as a dinner bell of sorts for other nearby whales during late-night feedings.
'Hints of behaviour suggest that other whales who overhear the sounds are attracted to them and may eavesdrop on other whales hunting for food,' Professor Parks added.
'Tick tock': Whales' clock-like sounds may help flush the sand lance out of hiding to where they're scooped up and eaten. The sounds may also serve as a dinner bell of sorts for other nearby whales during feedings
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