Researchers have discovered that wild fish can recognize people based on the colors of their outfits. This finding could change how we think about these creatures.
Many pets and farm animals can distinguish between different humans. They often learn to recognize people who feed them or pose a threat. But this ability in wild animals was less understood—until now.
In a study conducted in the Mediterranean Sea, wild fish like saddled seabream and black seabream learned to follow a diver who fed them. The diver trained the fish over 12 days by consistently providing food. After this training, another diver, dressed either identically or in differently colored gear, joined the first diver.
The two divers would swim off in different directions, and the fish could choose whom to follow. Interestingly, when the divers wore different outfits, the fish preferred to follow the diver who trained them. The fish’s preference became even stronger over time. However, when both divers wore the same outfit, the black bream could not tell them apart. The saddled bream showed some preference for the trainer only during the middle of the trials.
This behavior indicates that the fish could learn to identify the diver based on visual differences, like patterns and colors, even though they had no previous contact with humans. Maëlan Tomasek, the study’s lead author, noted that this suggests fish can adapt their natural behaviors to recognize us.
Tomasek believes this research could lead us to reconsider our treatment of fish. If these creatures can recognize and respond to humans, perhaps we should think more about their lives and well-being.
