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View Full Version : Blind cave fish are smarter than dog!


Simplex
12-10-2004, 06:32 PM
New research on Blind cave fish has found that they can put even dogs to shame in the intelligence stakes.

Dr Theresa Burt de Perera, an ethologist at Keble College Oxford, studied the behaviour of the Mexican Blind cave fish, Astyanax fasciatus, which in the absence of working eyes, relies on minute changes in pressure to detect the presence of objects in the water.

By using the sensitive lateral line system to detect changes in pressure, they're able to swim around without banging their heads against the glass, rocks or other fish. Blind cave fish swim much more quickly when they are faced with landmarks, like rocks, which they haven't encountered before, presumably to enhance lateral line stimulation.

Follow this link for more information

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=458

Anyone know where can I find this paper

Burt de Perera, T. (2004) A study of spatial parameters encoded in the spatial map of the blind Mexican cave fish (Astyanax fasciatus). Animal Behaviour, 68: 291-295.

mervin
12-10-2004, 09:35 PM
just because they can "see" in the dark doesn't mean that they are smarter then dogs....it doesn't even mean they are smarter then anything else.

it is just a "skill" or adaptation for living in the dark.

:wink: