kleptoparasitic
klep-toh-PAR-uh-SIT-ik
Definition
Relating to a feeding strategy where one animal steals prey or food items that have been caught or gathered by another animal.
Etymology
Derived from the Greek 'kleptein' (to steal) and 'parasite,' the term was coined in the late 19th century to describe biological behaviors where organisms derive nutrition by forcibly taking food from others.
In the news
The article uses this term to describe one way fish might benefit from following an octopus, where the fish intercepts prey that the octopus has flushed out from the reef. It is presented as one possible explanation for why fish follow octopuses.
Young reef octopuses do not slap every fish that gets close: a 2026 study found arm strikes concentrated in fast, defensive encounters with territorial fish, while interactions with nonterritorial followers lasted more than three times as long as the underwater fight
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com