Fishes recognize faces, and it's likely they're also familiar with their owners. A study on fishes's ability to understand complex patterns revealed this quirky capability with surprising accuracy.
Researchers discovered fishes may have the ability to distinguish between human faces. The study involved a sample of archerfish, a species able to shoot water off their mouths to knock prey from low-hanging branches.
Fish Brains Can Be Complicated
The discovery came as a surprise, since it was believed fishes don't have brains big enough to handle such complexities. Aside from humans, primates and some bird species are known to recognize and remember human faces.
CNN reports this is the first time fishes have been observed to exhibit this ability. In the experiment, archer fish were trained to shoot water on a photograph of someone's face. The fishes were than presented with multiple photographs, and were rewarded with fish food whenever they picked the right face out of the lot.
Results Suggest Fish Recognize And Remember
Researcher's said the process was easier than expected. Some of the archer fish learned in a few days, while in others it took a couple of weeks. The fishes were able to recognize one familiar face out of 44 faces, with 81% accuracy.
The experiment went one step further; the same pictures were developed in black and white, and the heads were edited so only the basic facial features remained. Not only did the fishes recognize the same face out of the selections, but did it with 86% accuracy.
Dr. Cait Newport, lead author of the study, confirms the process of recognition is acute and complex. "All faces have two eyes above a nose and mouth, therefore to tell people apart we must be able to identify subtle differences in their features. If you consider the similarities in appearance between some family members, this task can be very difficult indeed."
Sci-news confirms the ability requires a dedicated section of the human brain. The study does not confirm if fishes recognize social cues, though, such as the gestures and personalities that distinguish between members of the same species.
