As Valentine’s Day approaches we can feel that there is love in the air – but is it in the water?
We know that fish have a whale of a time swimming around all day eating food but we weren’t sure if they were capable of companionship so, decided to find out.
What we found
Scientists at the University of Burgundy in France carried out a study on convict cichlid – a popular aquarium fish that looks a little bit like zebra.
They put two males in a tank with one female and let her choose which one she’d like to cosy up.
Once she’d made her selection, the team of scientists moved her away to be with other females or the male she didn’t fancy going on a date with.
What they found was that both the female and the male she had chosen were slower to spawn and became a little more glum.
This shows us that fish do feel companionship and that it’s not just humans or mammals, so love really is in the water!
Want to discover what other sea creatures need some romance in their life?
Watch the video.
https://www.facebook.com/bristolaquarium/videos/2366792613611520/
5 responses to “Do fish fall in love?”