Observations of the reef fish Alphestes afer (actinopterygii, epinephelidae) following the Octopus insularis (cephalopoda, octopodidae) in a tropical reef system

Abstract

We report an interaction between Octopus insularis (Octopoda, Octopodidae) and the reef fish Alphestes afer (Perciformes, Epinephelidae) and provide evidence of mimicry, camouflage and following behaviors. We observed three instances of this interaction during dives at the Pirangi reefs, Northeastern Brazil. The octopus’s body color patterns indicated the type of behavior that developed while it was followed by the reef fish. These data are the first records of following behavior in A. afer and the first observation of such interaction with O. insularis in coastal reefs.