Fish have more smarts than we think! A recent study found that Mediterranean sea bream can recognize divers based on their diving gear. These fish are not judging fashion but are actually using visual clues to identify who feeds them.
Researchers discovered that when divers wore the same gear, the fish had a harder time telling them apart. This shows the sea bream rely on what they see. Katinka Soller, a researcher from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, found that the fish, known for their keen color vision, followed her even when she changed into plainer gear. Another researcher, Maelan Tomasek, was wearing slightly different equipment, but the fish chose Soller. She believes over time, the fish would even recognize them by their hair and hands. “They seemed curious, studying our features,” Soller explained.
Soller got to know some of the fish personally, like “Bernie,” who has two shiny scales, and “Alfie,” who is missing a piece of his tail fin. The study started because the fish consistently identified the diver with food, ignoring decoy divers. Tomasek noted that many people wrongly assume fish are not intelligent. He stressed, “Fish are super curious. They want to engage with us.”
This research shines a light on fish behavior, reminding us that there’s so much more to these creatures than we often realize.
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