Scientists highlight fish 'intelligence'

[Guest guest]

BBC News

 

Scientists highlight fish 'intelligence'

 

Fish are socially intelligent creatures who do not

deserve their reputation as the dim-wits of the animal

kingdom, according to a group of leading scientists.

 

Scientists say fish do not deserve their " dim-witted "

reputation

 

Rather than simply being instinct-driven, the group

says fish are cunning, manipulative and even cultured.

 

The three experts from the universities of Edinburgh,

St Andrews and Leeds said there had been huge changes

in science's understanding of the psychological and

mental abilities of fish in the last few years.

 

Writing in the journal Fish and Fisheries, biologists

Calum Brown, Keven Laland and Jens Krause said fish

were now seen as highly intelligent creatures.

 

They said: " 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'.

 

Behaviour patterns

 

" 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. "

 

Recent research had shown that fish recognised

individual " shoal mates " , social prestige and even

tracked relationships.

 

Scientists had also observed them using tools,

building complex nests and exhibiting long-term

memories.

 

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. "

 

They said fish were the most ancient of the major

vertebrate groups, giving them " ample time " to evolve

complex, adaptable and diverse behaviour patterns that

rivalled those of other vertebrates.

 

" These developments warrant a re-appraisal 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.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Very interesting article.

What I want to know is, why can't they stop biting those

scraps of meat on a hook? *lol*

Right now the salmon are on a run up the Rogue River, and

I plan to go watch them. Amazing creatures. Huge!

 

~ feral ~

 

In failing circumstances no man can be relied on

to keep his integrity.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~~~~~~~~>

, " artichoke72x " <

artichoke72x> wrote:

> BBC News

>

> Scientists highlight fish 'intelligence'

 

> Rather than simply being instinct-driven, the group

> says fish are cunning, manipulative and even cultured.

[Guest guest]

hell it's hard to spot a hook in the murky waters, especially with

pollution and what not. Back when i was a kid and used to " go

fishing " I noticed that fish when caught would often try to steer the

line towards seaweed. I never thought much of it at the time, but now

I think it seems pretty damn clever. Some fish like bass seemed

especially clever because they often try to jump out of the water and

spit out the hook. Now I'm glad I was never that good at it because

most of them got away.

[Guest guest]

Our local river, The Rogue River, is not polluted nor is it

murky (thankfully), but sadly many of our rivers are in

this world.

I asked a local salmon fisherman why they bite at the

hooks as they seem so intent and focused on their fall

run right now to return to spawning grounds. He told me

I was correct, they aren't hungry and they aren't looking for

food right now. He went on to explain that they will pretty

much only bite at the hooks out of annoyance because they

are in their way as they head upstream. So the easily annoyed

salmon get caught I guess. Bummer. *sigh*

 

~ PT ~

 

In the realm of Nature there is nothing purposeless,

trivial, or unnecessary.

~ Maimonides

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~~~~~~~~>

, " dave " <dave4sale>

wrote:

> hell it's hard to spot a hook in the murky waters, especially with

> pollution and what not. Back when i was a kid and used to " go

> fishing " I noticed that fish when caught would often try to steer

the

> line towards seaweed. I never thought much of it at the time, but

now

> I think it seems pretty damn clever. Some fish like bass seemed

> especially clever because they often try to jump out of the water

and

> spit out the hook. Now I'm glad I was never that good at it

because

> most of them got away.

[Guest guest]

Me too! *lmao*

I am not very zen when I am PMS-ing.

 

~ PT ~

 

The silence of a man who loves to praise,

is a censure sufficiently severe.

~ Charlotte Lennox, " The Female Quixote "

~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~*~~~*~~~*~~~~~~~~~>

, " ~Janice~ "

<serenity1@m...>

wrote:

> >>>So the easily annoyed

> salmon get caught I guess. Bummer. *sigh*

>

> It's a good thing I'm not a fish, I'd get caught for sure!! LOL

>

> ~Janice~

[Guest guest]

>>>So the easily annoyed

salmon get caught I guess. Bummer. *sigh*

 

It's a good thing I'm not a fish, I'd get caught for sure!! LOL

 

 

~Janice~

Courage doesn't always roar.

Sometimes courage is the

little voice at the end

of the day that says...

" I'll try again tomorrow " .

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

<<<Me too! *lmao*

I am not very zen when I am PMS-ing.

 

I'm worse during that time. I have very little patience. LOL

 

~Janice~

Courage doesn't always roar.

Sometimes courage is the

little voice at the end

of the day that says...

" I'll try again tomorrow " .