As soon as the coveralldozens of bright eyes lurked him From the bluish gloom. They moved in silence, sliding like shadows, calculating each movement. It was not fear what they felt, but a insatiable curiosity. They knew who it was. They knew him better than he could imagine, and they expected, patients, the moment when his hands will approach the food belt. It was not the first time, and surely it would not be the last one, that those Wild fish They proved to remember exactly who feed them.
For years, researchers at a Mediterranean station noticed a peculiar phenomenon: Certain wild fish followed a specific diver while ignoring others. It was no coincidence or mere coincidence. Something in their behavior suggested that they were capable of Recognize individual peopleNot only blurred figures with neoprene suits. The fish did not approach any human, but only to those who previously They had offered food.
Fish have their favorite people
Intrigued by this possibility, a institute team Max Planck of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB) decided to investigate thoroughly. They wondered if these fish, used to seeing divers, could really distinguish people. To do this, they designed a Series of underwater experimentsusing different diving suits and controlled conditions. The key was to discover if wild fish were able to recognize a specific human being based on external visual signals.
The experiment began with a training phase. The diver Katinka Sollerwhich led the test next to Maëlan Tomasekhe immersed himself wearing a striking red vest, swimming fifty meters while feding the fish that followed her. Over time, it was reducing the colorful elements to use completely neutral diving equipment. He only fed the fish at the end of the tour, rewarding those who followed her until the end. Surprisingly, some fish not only learned to follow her, but They appeared day after dayshowing unusual persistence and curiosity.
The protagonists of this story were mainly Two species of goldknown fish more for their appearances in recipes than for their intelligence. But these individuals broke the stereotype, quickly learning to recognize Soller. So much so, that she began to distinguish them by their physical characteristics, baptizing them with names such as Bernie and Alfie. “Once he entered the water, there were seconds to see them come to me, as appearing out of nowhere,” said Soller, impressed by the consistency of his new aquatic companions.
Visual memory helps them distinguish people
After twelve days of training, about twenty fish faithfully followed Soller. The next step was to try if they could really differentiate it from another diver. To do this, Tomasek immersed himself with her, using a similar diving equipment but with slight differences in the color of the fins and the suit. At first, the fish seemed confused, dividing between both divers. But When Tomasek stopped offering food, most chose to follow Sollerdemonstrating that they had learned to associate food with a specific person.
The most interesting thing came when both divers used identical equipment. Suddenly, the fish could no longer distinguish them, swimming from one place to another without deciding who to follow. This confirmed that The fish were based on external visual signalsprobably in colors, to recognize Soller. According to Tomasek, “almost all fish have vision in color, so it is not surprising that they learned to associate color patches with the right person.”
This discovery not only challenges perceptions about fish intelligence, but also provides evidence that they can establish differentiated relationships with human beings. In fact, the study published in Biology Letters suggests that This ability could be present in many more fish species of what was thought, including those that are considered as pets.
Smarter than
The main researcher, Alex Jordanhe was excited about the findings and regretted that historically he has belittled the intelligence and memory of the fish: “I am not surprised that these animals, that navigate a world so complex and full of interactions with other species, can visually recognize us. The surprising thing is to surprise us. Perhaps we underestimate the capabilities of our cousins underwater. ”
This study not only shows that fish can remember human faces, but also reveals a Ability to learn and adapt to complex visual signals. It certifies that, although the creatures of the sea are often underestimated, they have been observing humans for much longer than it is believed. And now, it is known that they are able to recognize them.
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