Study Shows That Fish Can Count

Health News

Even though they don’t have cerebral cortexes like humans, cichlids and stingrays can perform simple addition and subtraction, according to researchers from the University of Bonn.

What to know:

  • Cichlids (fish of the family Cichlidae) and stingrays can perform simple addition and subtraction in the number range of 1 to 5.

  • Using geometric shapes and blue and yellow colors, researchers were able to determine that cichlids and stingrays can detect small quantities precisely and can be trained to add and subtract.

  • The experiments required the fish to maintain a working memory of the pictures and numbers in tests that require complex thinking skills.

  • Fish don’t have a neocortex, which is part of the cerebral cortex and is responsible for complex cognitive tasks in mammals.

  • Neither cichlids nor stingrays are known to have any real need for good numerical abilities in the wild.

This is a summary of the article, “Study Shows: Fish Can Calculate,” published by Science Daily on April 1, 2022. The full article can be found on sciencedaily.com.

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