Clownfish, also known as anemonefish, are feisty critters that vigorously defend their anemone homes from intruders, particularly those of their own species, displaying aggressive behaviour. Anemonefish species living in the same areas exhibit a variety of stripe patterns, ranging from three vertical bars to none, as observed by Kina Hayashi from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan.
Fish feel pain, or don’t they? Despite a growing body of sound evidence that fish do indeed feel pain and are sentient beings capable of all the types of cognition found in the “higher” mammals, with the possible sole exception of the ability to imitate, a group of critics seems to systematically seek to discredit this research. But for what reasons? Ila France Porcher takes a closer look at the stakes involved.
In a recent study, researchers from Nagoya University in Japan have demonstrated that electric eels can release electricity potent enough to induce genetic modifications in small fish larvae.
This ground-breaking study challenges the conventional belief that electroporation, a gene delivery technique in which an electric field is generated to create temporary pores in cell membranes to enable the entry of molecules like DNA or proteins into the cells, is confined to laboratory settings.
The Houting fish, believed to have vanished from our waters, has made an unexpected return. Previously listed as 'extinct' on the IUCN Red List of Species, recent research has unveiled that this fish is not only thriving but is also not a distinct species as once thought.
The initial classification of its extinction was centred on morphological differences, especially the number of gill rakers. However, a detailed study published on bmcecolevol.biomedcentral.com contradicts this.
We’ve all seen those huge schools of fish that move as one and coordinate their movements so perfectly. New research has come up with a way to map the chain of direct interaction in such schools of fish, discovering that the fish pay attention to one or two of their neighbours at a time when the school moves as a group.
Hogfish, Lachnolaimus maximus, possess an uncanny ability to alter their skin colour, transitioning from a mottled white to a deep coral orange within mere seconds. This remarkable transformation is a survival mechanism, allowing them to seamlessly blend with their environment, evading potential predators.
The trumpetfish, with its long, slender body, shadows non-threatening species like the parrotfish. This allows it to get closer to its prey, such as damselfish, without being detected. Dr Sam Matchette, a leading researcher from the University of Cambridge, explains that when the trumpetfish swims alongside another species, it either remains hidden or is not recognised as a threat due to its altered shape.
Scientists have observed neon tetra fish queuing up when exiting through a narrow opening, according to a study in the journal Scientific Reports.
In the study, Aurélie Dupont, a biological physicist in the Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique at University Grenoble Alpes, and her team set up two fish tanks connected to each other by a narrow opening. The diameter of the passageway varied from 1.5 to 4 centimeters.
A new study demonstrates how animals recognise self-images.
Some animals have the remarkable capacity for mirror self-recognition (MSR), yet any implications for self-awareness remain uncertain.
In a test of MSR ability in cleaner fish, mirror-naive fish initially attacked photograph models of both themselves and unfamiliar strangers. In contrast, after all fish had passed the mirror mark test, they did not attack their own (motionless) images, but still frequently attacked those of unfamiliar individuals.
First spotted in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida in the 1980s, they later spread across the Caribbean, reshuffling coral reefs and other ecosystems by feasting on fish unfamiliar with the voracious predator.
