How Banded Sea Kraits Team Up to Hunt
In How Banded Sea Kraits Team Up to Hunt narrator Sir David Attenborough describes an amazing case of underwater cooperation taking place in Indonesia's coral reefs. The venomous banded sea krait works together with larger fish to hunt smaller fish. Watch their rare, coordinated approach to the hunt! This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
Lesson Express
Q: How do the hunters cooperate? How might they harm one another?
A: The fish help the snakes by showing where prey are and scaring fish into cracks; the snakes help the fish by scaring prey out of the cracks. They might harm one another by providing competition for prey.
Q: Why might this cooperation be so rare?
A: In the area where this happens, only 6% of the coral reefs are in a “pristine state.”
Q: What can people do about the condition of the coral reefs in Indonesia?
A: Student responses will vary.