- REBREATHERS - SPORT DIVERS ... - Stingray Divers
- REBREATHERS - SPORT DIVERS ... - Stingray Divers
- REBREATHERS - SPORT DIVERS ... - Stingray Divers
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variety of frangible teeth that are located<br />
near the back of the throat in other large<br />
grouper species.<br />
Call it a test of the stomach’s constitution,<br />
but when something like a large angry blue<br />
crab is turned into lunch, it goes to the belly of<br />
the goliath alive and snapping.<br />
The final element dictating the goliath’s diet<br />
is the manner in which it will hunt. Instead of<br />
roaming long distances, it will often remain in<br />
a relatively small area, settling for whatever<br />
passes by (juvenile’s around mangrove islands<br />
have a considerably small home range, but the<br />
home range of adults may be a lot larger).<br />
2<br />
Off Florida’s East Coast, schools of redear herring and round<br />
scad will make their migration as far south as Jupiter, between late<br />
spring and early summer. As a defense against predation, the small<br />
shiny fish form up in tight polarized clouds, sometimes around<br />
stationary objects, so as to block and confuse rushing attacks from<br />
jacks, mackerel and cuda.<br />
For goliaths, this defense posture becomes easy to manipulate,<br />
allowing the small fish to mass up around them while at the same<br />
time slowly moving away from the wreck or reef where they are<br />
more exposed to attack. Before instinct can warn them of their<br />
mistake, faster moving predators begin their onslaught, driving the<br />
baitfish into a tighter ball up around the goliath’s head. For these big<br />
fish to get a meal, the act is as simple as taking a deep breath.<br />
www.underwaterjournal.com June/July 2007