How Cobia Follow Southern Stingrays To Feast

Researchers observed cobia in Biscayne Bay, Florida, following southern stingrays and grabbing prey exposed by the rays’ digging.

The team also found 14 additional online reports of cobia-stingray associations, suggesting the behavior may be more common than previously recorded.

The pattern appears mostly in shallow coastal habitats and may reflect a predator-on-predator commensal relationship.

The finding could reshape understanding of marine food webs and has potential implications for fishing near shallow flats.