COSMOS MAGAZINE
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior found that wild fish can recognise individual divers based on visual cues, especially colours on their gear.
Study author, Maëlan Tomasek, with a “volunteer” in the experiment conducted in the Mediterranean Sea. Credit: Maëlan Tomasek
In a Mediterranean Sea study, fish learned to follow a specific diver who regularly fed them, while ignoring another diver who did not.
Soller feeding fish during training. Credit: Tomasek, Soller, Jordan (2025) Biology Letters.
When both divers wore identical gear, the fish could no longer tell them apart, confirming they used colour cues for recognition.
Divers wearing identical diving gear. The fish were unable to discriminate them. Credit: Tomasek, Soller, Jordan (2025) Biology Letters.
The findings suggest fish are more intelligent and capable of forming relationships with humans than previously thought.
Nadine Huth. Credit: supplied
Experienced diver Nadine Huth noted that fish often associate divers with food, interaction, or danger, adjusting their behavior accordingly.
Credit: Tomasek, Soller, Jordan (2025) Biology Letters.