The octopus is often thought to be a solitary marine creature, but new research suggests that the octopus and fish share leadership in hunting prey.
The research, published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, was conducted by scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour in Germany.
Data taken in some 120 dives in the Red Sea was analysed, with the researchers noting that goatfish specialised in deciding where the hunting groups would move.
They noted that the octopus appeared to be working with the fish in deciding whether and when to move to catch the prey.
The team noted that the species sometimes fell out with each other, with fish swimming at speed to move others out of the way, and octopuses sometimes hitting some fish back to the outer ring of the group.
The BBC reports on the research here