CANBERRA, July 26 (Xinhua) -- An Australian study shows social bonds with temperate fish help tropical fish thrive in cooler southern waters as oceans warm.
Rising temperatures are driving tropical fish to extend their range into the cooler temperate waters off Australia's southern coast, said researchers from the University of Adelaide in South Australia.
The study found that tropical fish, once vulnerable to cold winters, now form mixed groups with temperate fish, gaining better predator protection and food access, according to an article published Friday on The Conversation website.
Underwater footage showed tropical fish in mixed shoals fed more and sheltered less, using social learning to adopt temperate fish survival strategies in new reefs, it said.
The study's first author Angus Mitchell, postdoctoral researcher in Marine Ecology, University of Adelaide, described this kind of behavioral "plasticity" as "a powerful tool in a changing climate."
However, the authors said not all tropical fish benefit; herbivorous species with specialized diets gain less, and native temperate fish sometimes experience more stress and feed less around tropical newcomers.
The study highlights how marine species respond to climate change, with 2023's record marine heatwaves driving tropical fish south. While new social bonds aid some species, these shifts may disrupt reef communities and strain native fish already stressed by warming waters.
Understanding fish interactions in new environments is crucial for managing reefs in a warming ocean, as climate-driven range shifts involve not just temperature changes, but also behavior, relationships, and resilience, researchers said. ■
