- (PA) -- Fish do not deserve their reputation as the dim-wits
of the animal kingdom, a group of British scientists says.
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- Far from being instinct-driven dunces, held back by a
three-second memory, fish were cunning, manipulative, cultured and socially
aware.
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- In some respects of their intelligence, they could even
be favourably compared with non-human primates, it was claimed.
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- The three scientists from the universities of Edinburgh
and St Andrew's in Scotland, and the University of Leeds, said conceptions
of the psychological and mental abilities of fish had undergone a "sea
change" in the past few years.
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- Biologists Calum Brown, Keven Laland and Jens Krause
wrote in the journal Fish and Fisheries: "Gone (or at least obsolete)
is the image of fish as drudging and dim-witted pea-brains, driven largely
by 'instinct', with what little behavioural flexibility they possess being
severely hampered by an infamous 'three-second memory'.
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- "Now, fish are regarded as steeped in social intelligence,
pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment and reconciliation,
exhibiting stable cultural traditions, and co-operating to inspect predators
and catch food."
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- Recent research had shown that fish not only recognised
individual "shoal mates" but monitored the social prestige of
others, and tracked relationships.
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- They had also been observed using tools, building complex
nests and bowers, and exhibiting impressive long-term memories.
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- The scientists added: "Although it may seem extraordinary
to those comfortably used to pre-judging animal intelligence on the basis
of brain volume, in some cognitive domains, fishes can even be favourably
compared to non-human primates."
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- They said there were 27,000 known species of fish, more
than all other vertebrates combined.
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- Fish were the most ancient of the major vertebrate groups
existing today, and exploited virtually every conceivable aquatic environment.
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- There had been "ample time" for fish to evolve
complex, adaptable and diverse behaviour patterns that rivalled those of
other vertebrates.
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- "These developments warrant a reappraisal of the
behavioural flexibility of fishes, and highlight the need for a deeper
understanding of the learning processes that underpin the newly recognised
behavioural and social sophistication of this taxon," said the scientists.
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- Copyright © 2003. The Sydney Morning Herald.
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- http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/31/1062268474505.html
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