Before squaring up for a fight, some fish check themselves out in the mirror to make sure they’re big enough.
This strange behavior was seen in bluestreak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus), who examined their own body size in the mirror before deciding whether or not to attack another fish that was larger or smaller than themselves, according to a new paper in the journal Scientific Reports.
These findings may mark the first time that mental body image has been seen in non humans, the researchers say.
A bluestreak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) swims in a tank at right, with its mirror image at left. These fish appear to be able to decide whether or not to attack an opponent based on… A bluestreak cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) swims in a tank at right, with its mirror image at left. These fish appear to be able to decide whether or not to attack an opponent based on their own reflection. More Osaka Metropolitan University
