Dolphins may use coral mucus for skin care

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This sounds like something someone would have science-fiction aliens do;
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“All of a sudden, they got very organized,” she remembers. The dolphins lined up, politely waited their turn, and, one by one, rubbed their body against a particular type of coral. “It was clear that the dolphins knew exactly which coral they wanted to use,” Ziltener says. “I knew there had to be a reason.”

After more than a decade of underwater observation of some 360 dolphins, as well as chemical analysis of the specific coral they preferred, Ziltener and her colleagues may have discovered what that reason is. In a paper published recently in iScience, they described how the animals might be “self-medicating” using mucus that the coral releases when the animals rub against it.
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Dolphins in the Red Sea May Use Coral to ‘Self-Medicate’
Scientists observing a pod in the wild think the animals may choose specific species for a skin care wellness routine.
by Ashley Stimpson June 7, 2022
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/d ... -skin-care

I didn't know coral even produced mucus. That's kind of gross. So If I touched coral while scuba diving would it feel all slimy? I doubt it would help *my* skin.

Dolphins are highly intelligent.

I like dolphins, even though I heard they're not as friendly as they're made out to be in the media and that they do horrible things like bully other sea creatures and sexually assault each other. Unlike most other non-humans they have sex for pleasure and not just for the sole purpose of producing offspring to keep their species from dying out. I even once heard on the news years ago that dolphins weren't as intelligent as most people think, either. They're highly trainable, but then again so are dogs.

The Simpsons have shown dolphins having a dark side a couple of times at least, especially in that Treehouse of Horror episode where Lisa frees a mistreated dolphin and then he and his species banish the humans to the sea. But hey, h*mans suck, so...

This may not be the first time dolphins have been observed using tools.