{"id":1314,"date":"2026-05-27T15:24:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T14:24:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/fish-uses-its-reflection-to-avoid-a-fight-redefining-marine-animal-consciousness\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T15:24:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T14:24:56","slug":"fish-uses-its-reflection-to-avoid-a-fight-redefining-marine-animal-consciousness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/fish-uses-its-reflection-to-avoid-a-fight-redefining-marine-animal-consciousness\/","title":{"rendered":"Fish Uses Its Reflection to Avoid a Fight, Redefining Marine Animal Consciousness"},"content":{"rendered":"

A fish shorter than a pen can recognize itself in a mirror. The cleaner wrasse, studied by Masanori Kohda and his team at Osaka Metropolitan University, is forcing researchers to reread a test long reserved for the brainiest minds.<\/p>\n

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The mirror test does not merely verify a reflection; it observes how an animal links the image to its body<\/h2>\n

The mirror test rests on a simple idea. A mark is placed on a body area the animal can only see through its reflection. If it tries to remove it from its own body, researchers refer to visual self-recognition<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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This protocol comes from psychologist Gordon Gallup, who proposed it in 1970 with chimpanzees. Cognitive ethology, the discipline that studies animals\u2019 mental abilities, later used it as a benchmark to compare primates, dolphins, elephants, or birds.<\/p>\n

Studies conducted in Osaka change the interpretation of a test used for animals for over 50 years<\/h2>\n

The team led by Masanori Kohda published an initial study in PLOS Biology in 2019. Wrasses exposed to the mirror go through three behaviors: attacking the reflection, unusual movements in front of the glass, then close observation, as seen in other species already tested.<\/p>\n

The follow-up, published in 2022 in PLOS Biology, strengthens the case. The authors report 17 successes out of 18 fish<\/strong>, i.e. 94%. The throat-marked wrasses rub that area against the sand or rocks when a mirror is present.<\/p>\n

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The tricky part remains interpretation. The researchers do not claim that the fish thinks of itself as a human. They propose that the test reveals at least a link between reflection and body, finer than a simple reaction to another animal.<\/p>\n

Recognition of a still photo shows that the cleaner wrasse does not merely respond to the mirror\u2019s movement<\/h2>\n

A study published in PNAS in 2023 marks a different step. Wrasses that had not yet passed the test attacked their own photo as if it belonged to a stranger. After the mirror experience, they stopped attacking their own face<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This reaction matters because a photo does not move. The fish can no longer rely on the synchronization of the reflection, as a mirror imitates every movement. It seems to compare the image to a mental image<\/strong>, a representation kept in memory.<\/p>\n

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The researchers also tested composite images, with a separate face and body. The personal face played a decisive role. This precision brings the behavior closer to individual recognition, without erasing the limits of a protocol conducted in an aquarium.<\/p>\n

Before attacking a rival, the cleaner wrasse uses its reflection to compare sizes and limit risk<\/h2>\n

The study published in Scientific Reports in 2024 adds a concrete detail. Wrasses confronted with pictures of fish 10% larger<\/strong> or 10% smaller do not react randomly. After the test, they more strongly avoid larger opponents.<\/p>\n

The mirror then acts as a visual scale. The fish juxtaposes two silhouettes: its own and that of the rival. This comparison helps decide whether to attack or to back down, in an aquarium where the displayed opponent is 10% larger<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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