Tropical Fish can recognize human faces

The particularity of men and some animals such as dogs, primates or birds is to be able to distinguish faces.

Face Recognition

For the first time researchers from Oxford University and Queensland University have managed to prove that a species of tropical fish was capable of the same ability. Archer fish was able to learn and recognize human faces with an impressive level of accuracy. Its performance is even more remarkable that the human faces all share the same basic features eyes, nose and mouth. Fair enough to say that identifying the intricacies of each subject with such precision is fantastic. We thought for a long time that this achievement could be only accomplished by a large and complex brain, this fish with a small and simple brain proves the exact contrary.

Archerfish split water

This fish is best known for its ability to “shoot” water on preys. Archer fish can squirt a jet of water at its victim until 50 cm above the surface. The force of the jet is proportional to the size of the targeted prey insects, spiders, lizards … and struck with ten times force than necessary to dislodge and bring down its prey in the water.

The researchers used this amazing ability to distinguish her different faces. First the fish learn to recognize a face, then the researchers show it two different faces including the good one. The archer fish, while targeting and spitting on the face among 44 other faces, had an 81% accuracy in face recognition. We considered brains called “simple” incapable of complex actions, this example counterbalances our understanding of the brain and opens new scientific perspectives.