A examine means that clownfish, identified for his or her distinctive white stripes, could possess the power to make use of rudimentary counting to recognise fellow fish. The examine, printed within the Journal of Experimental Biology, discovered that clownfish can rely as much as three stripes on different fish and use this talent to determine potential threats to their houses and social order.
Counting abilities within the animal kingdom are identified to have numerous advantages, akin to serving to animals discover security in group sizes or seize larger meals. Within the case of clownfish, their capability to rely stripes could serve the aim of figuring out members of their very own species and distinguishing them from potential intruders.
To research the counting skills of clownfish, researchers carried out experiments utilizing younger, lab-raised frequent clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris). The fish have been positioned in particular person aquariums and launched to different clownfish with totally different stripe patterns, all protected inside clear packing containers. The examine discovered that the resident clownfish reacted extra aggressively in the direction of intruders with the identical variety of stripes as themselves. In one other experiment, teams of clownfish have been uncovered to resin decoys with totally different stripe patterns, and the fish confirmed a transparent choice for attacking the decoys with three stripes.
The examine’s lead researcher, Kina Hayashi, a marine ecologist on the Okinawa Institute of Science and Expertise, has lengthy been within the position of stripes in clownfish conduct. Earlier analysis has proven that clownfish pay shut consideration to stripe patterns and react extra aggressively to decoys with matching stripes Hayashi’s examine builds on this data by suggesting that clownfish can truly rely the stripes and use this info to determine potential threats.
Whereas the examine offers proof for the counting skills of clownfish, some specialists stay skeptical and query whether or not the fish are really counting or just noticing the white colouration on the intruders.