The authors speculate that mathematical capabilities might not be extremely crucial to either species, they suggest that mathematical abilities could help both species to acknowledge specific fish by their appearance, for example by counting stripes or spots on fish bodies. The findings add to a growing body of evidence showing that the cognitive capabilities and life of fish need to be revisited, the researchers include.
Referral: “Cichlids and stingrays can subtract and include one in the number space from one to five” 31 March 2022, Scientific Reports.DOI: 10.1038/ s41598-022-07552-2.
By Scientific Reports
March 31, 2022
Stingray.
Zebra mbuna (a species of cichlid fish) and stingrays can deduct and include one from the numbers one to 5, according to a research study published in Scientific Reports. The findings highlight that the numerical capabilities of fish are on par with those of other vertebrate and invertebrate species, according to the authors.
Fish were shown cards with either yellow or blue shapes, and then provided with two gates including cards with different numbers of shapes– one of which was the correct answer. If a fish was revealed a card with three blue shapes, they would include one to three and swim through a gate containing the card with 4 shapes.
Zebra mbuna fish.
The scientists found that 6 of the zebra mbuna and 3 of the stingrays discovered to regularly associate blue with addition and yellow with subtraction. On average, zebra mbuna discovered this after 28 sessions and stingrays after 68 sessions. Fish generally carried out well in the tasks, although addition was found out more easily than subtraction and the performance of specific fish varied more in between zebra mbuna than in between stingrays. Throughout the addition jobs, zebra mbuna selected the appropriate response in 296 out of 381 (78%) stingrays and tests selected the right response in 169 out of 180 (94%) tests. During the subtraction jobs, zebra mbuna were proper throughout 264 out of 381 (69%) of tests and stingrays were appropriate in 161 out of 180 (89%) of tests.
Fish were shown cards with either yellow or blue shapes, and then presented with two gates including cards with different numbers of shapes– one of which was the correct response. If a fish was revealed a card with 3 blue shapes, they would add one to 3 and swim through a gate containing the card with 4 shapes. Fish typically carried out well in the jobs, although addition was learned more easily than subtraction and the performance of private fish differed more between zebra mbuna than in between stingrays.
